The Search for My True Family
by Ultimate Rising Phoenix
Summary: Spyro had been living happily with Cynder, his new mate, as they both are threated as heroes. However, Spyro cannot shake away a feeling in his heart, as if there was still something missing in his life, and he cannot decide what it is. That until one day, whena strange dream urges our purple hero into a search to find his family, the famliy that was taken from him long ago...
1. Spyro's Sadness

The day was clear and bright at the great city of Warfang. Now it made around ten years since the final and ultimate defeat of the Dark Masters, at the paw of Spyro, the legendary purple dragon of the prophecy, and Cynder, the former Terror of the Skies. Now, the two dragons were both taken as living legends. Theyt were the heroes who saved the worlçd from certain doom, and who saved every living creature that walked over it, dragon or otherwise.

They were the great saviors, and as so, they had all kinds of honors. Just like what was happening into the city of Warfang right now.

Across the city, there were people arming small banks, all of them had the most different variety from objects to sell. From fruits and foods to small broochs and some small atatues made to resemble Spyro and Cynder.

Some buildings were decorated with long cloths of purple and black color, and some had the images that resembled the shillouettes of the two young dragons, as they were, ten years ago. The roads also had small flags in it, set on lines across the big roads, all of purple and black colors.

It was just nothing more than the first preperatives for the annual Legend Festival.

It was one special time of the year, which happened int he same month that Spyro and Cynder had defeated the Dark Mastr and freed the world of his reing of horror. That was a day were everyone, no matter the species, reunited to celebrate the great happening, and to cheeris the heroes who had saved everyone.

It was a whole month of parties, festivities, good food and nothing more than pure celebration. Warfang, for having been the place were the heroes stayed before their last clash, and the place to where both of them had returned after their great deed of heroism, was the place where all the celebration happened.

In that time, Warfang became more than a city that was build to face the worst of wars. Now, that place was a place that received several visitors from all the realms, and all of them came to join the celebration. Anyone was more than welcome to join and unite to the party. It was a time for everyone to gather together, to forget their past and their troubles and their differences, and unite their souls and minds to celebrate and to thnak to the Ancestors and all the Gods above for beign alive and able to even make this party.

Of course, people came from everyone to take part. Some wehre there for the great festivity that became famous among the lands that was held inside the gates of the city, with its music, dance and games from all kinds. Some came for the banquets that were held, made by some of the best chiefs in the realms, specially invited for that great party, offering all kinds of foods, and some very good drinks, including leverages that were famous among the place. Some came for the opportunity, for places like that, full of people, might be a good chance to make money if your work is on sealing thins. Of course, this also brought up cheaters from all places, ready to make a scam and take away the money of a poor, unaware victim, which will only discover to have been deceived when it was already too late.

Some came out of curiosity, people driven to come in there from far only to see what this great party was like, and if it was really all they had heard about it. Sure, the incoming of tourists helped the economy of the city, and the ones that came to see the great celebration and took part on it rarelly left unhappy. Most of them would hold good memories of it, and eight in each ten of them would come back next year.

That was the time of pure festivity, which was knwon all around and brought people from everywhere in there to celebrate.

And, of course, this celebration would not be completed without the presence of the two dragons who had saved the world, who still lived into that very sme city, even after all these years.

* * *

Into the balcony of a high tower of a very luxurious hous,e stood a single black dragoness. She looked down at the world beneath her, as she saw people moving to and fro as everyone was putting on the decorations for the great festivities that were going to get started.

She smiled at herself.

This dragoness was black in color, with a crimson colored underbelly. She looked like an adult, after all, she was one, and her eyes were green like the purest emeralds. She was a slendr figure, and all in her body was proportional. She had three pair of horns in her head, all of them crowning her head, and the tip of her tail had a lance/schyte-like tailblade. In her neck and in her forelegs there were some markings, which were of a lighter color than the rest of her bodies, a remembering of somethignt hat had been in there long ago, and that had left scars over her skin, even after havign been removed.

This dragoness had grown so much, however, who looked at her, would soon be able to recognize her from the stories and from paintings and from history books.

Cynder smiled to herself as she saw the streets once again beign prepared to the festivities, and she could not help but wonder what they would put up this year. Last year it was a great show of dance, with invited actors coming from the other side of the continent, from the cold lands.

She had heard that maybe there were shows of magic from a group of unicorns. Some were hoping that it was, for the unicorns were know for the amazing magic abilites, that some said could surpasse even the ones of dragons.

The festival of this year was going to be even better. At least, it was what many people out there were saying.

Cynder could only sigh as she recaptuled everything that had happened int the past ten, almost eleven years now.

Each time that she went back to all the experiences that she and Spyro had together in that mean time, she could barelly even believe. Each time she looked back in her own life, it almost felt like she was looking into the memories of someone else. These memories were all just so amazing, and she had gone through so much things.

She had been kidnapped and separated from her family when she was till in the egg. She was corrupted by Malefor and turned into his evil servant. She was rescued by Spyro not once, but twice, and they both had been trapped for three years. They both had faced the great war together. They had both went to face Malefor on their own, and they actually managed to win. Spyro fixed the wolrd toghter, and she finally had the courage to sat the words she had been wanting for a long time to the young purple dragon:

I love you...

She remembered what happened after. They both woke up again, and they both flew back to Warfang. They were received as heroes. Cynder herself was surprised that everyone was cheerizing her as much as they were cheerizing Spyro. She was no longer the "Terror of the Skies". She was now a heroine, just as much as Spyro was.

After that, she and Spyro started to have a relationship, and a year later, there was a great celebration, at the anniversary of the time that they had saved everyone, and all people in there, dragon or not, got along pretty well to celebrate, and to tahnk she and the purple dragon.

And now, so many years later, they still did the same celebration, and it seemed that it only got bigger at each passing year. Cynder wondered to herself if this was going to become a tradition, of the kind that lasted for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. And to think that it was all because of she and Spyro, this thought made Cynder chuckle to herslef slightly. If someone had told her somethign like that when she was astill a young dragoness, and had just be freed from Malefor's control, she would surelly not have believed.

Yet, there she was now, looking down at the great celebration that was being held for her and Spyro, and they were most likely going to be the honored guests, as they had been every year since the first celebration. Cynder could not help but feel enflatuated slightly as such an honor was given to her, specially after all the horrible thigns she had done under the Dark Master's control. It just showed that people seemed to have almost completelly forgave her, and gave her a place to stay in that new world. One that she and Spyro had somehow helped to create.

"Spyro, come here!" Cynder called out to the inside of the house. "You have to see what they are doing out there, is amazing!"

She was looking at one set of pictures down there that seemed to depict several images of their past adventrues, including the flaoting ship, the Whell of Souls and even their final battle with the Dark Master. Though she was at a great altitude, the pictures were big enouhg, and her vision good enough, for her to see what was depicted in them, and she could see that some of them were glamourized, as it was to expect from somethign so epic and famous as their adventure was.

Still, it was something nice to see.

She waited a few seconds, but she received no answer.

"Spyro?" She called again, but there was no answer.

Turning back, she walked back inside the house. It was a very beautiful house, furnitured and very decorated in the inside. They had been given houses like that since they returned, as if it was a special way of people saying "thank you" to them. Spyro had refused at first, since all this glamour and all that luxuriousness was not very much his style, but he ended up accepting.

She looked around, and she found who she was looking for.

He was still the same purple dragon from before, but now, he was clearly very different. He had grown in the last decade, as much as Cynder. He had lost his old features, and now, he was bigger, and more muscled. He was a little bigger than Cynder, and his musculature was very well defined. He still had the same color pattern, but now, he had a few extra features in his face.

First of all, his muzzle seemed more adult, and he had a more mature look. There were a few small horn-like spikes growing from the underside of his muzzle, almost as if a mustache, and he had a few new fins in the side of his head, which comehow made him resemble very kuch Ignitus, the deceased fire Guardian. His horns were bigger now, also, and they seemed that they would give a very deadly weapon in a battle. Overall, Spyro now looked much more impressive, and like he would be a very powerful opponent into a fight.

However, Cynder knew that he was still being the very same young dragon that rescued her so long ago. Nor the time, nor the fame were able to change him with his generous attitudes, brave spirit and golden heart that made him be the dragon that Cynder would innevitably fall in love with. Each time that she looked in his eyes, she could still see that young dragon. She could very well see Spyro. She could see the only dragon in the world who she loved and who she would ever love.

And right now, that dragon didn't seemed very happy.

Spyro was just standing there, in front of the table of wood that was in their kitchen, and he was staring down at the piece of roasted sheep that was their morning breakfast. Cynder had already ate her, and that was why she had left rhe table to go to the balcony and take a deep breath of fresh morning air, and she used this chance to see the preparetives of the incoming celebration.

By that time, she expected Spyro to have already finished his morning meal, however, Spyro was still there, and his food as only partially eaten. The purple dragon now was just staring at the food, but, he was not looking at it. It seemed more like he was only looking down, as if he had completelly forgotten about the food.

"Spyro, you didn't finished it yet?" Cynder asked as she walked closer to him, but Spyro only kept his head down, a strange expression in his eyes, as if he was not in there, but somewhere far away. It probably was really far, becuase he acted as if he hadn't even heard Cynder's voice at all.

Cynder looked at him, specially at his expression. And it worried her.

"Spyro?" She tried again, "Are you okay?" But, once more, it seemd that the purple dragon was unable to hear her, as he simply stood there, looking down at his food.

Cynder approached him,a dn gently nudged him with her wing. "Spyro?"

This seemed to be enough to make Spyro "wake up", as it seemed, becuase in that moment, he blinked, and raised his head. "Huh? What?" He asked, looking around, as if he had just woke up from a tracne, and he looked at Cynder, as if noticing for the first time that she was in there.

She looked at him, and she asked, "Spyro, are you okay?" He voice was full of concern, the kind that you could only hear in the voice of the people who you trully loved and who trully loved you back. Spyro looked at her, as if he was wondering what she was asking, and after a while, he finally seemed to know what he should say now.

"Oh... no... I mean... I'm fine, I just... Ain't hungry." He said, gently pushing his plate away, with the sheep in it still almost untouched. Cynder looked at him, ot having been convinced by this small speech, even because Spyro didn't said it with that much conviction.

"Are you okay?" She asked again, more insistently this time, and lettign it clear that she was not going to let him slip away from this with some poor formulate excuse. Spyro looked at her. He had for a long time admired her persistence and how she always went to get waht she wanted. Unlucky, that also could turn against him, like in moments like that. That and the fact that she could read him far better than most other people aroudn there.

Spyro sighed, and he said, "Cynder, I'm fine." Spyro said, tryign his best to sound sincere, and he continued. "I was just... thinking."

Cynder looked at him. Spyro had been very strange latelly. Actually, he was a little like that since the end of their long adventure. Since the day that they had lost Ignitus.

The fire Guardian, and Spyro's mentor, who was a fatherly figure to him, and who had lost his life, along with many others, in the war that was raged over the world by the Dark Master. His death had affected Spyro very much, and that became clear after the war ended. Spyro had became a bit more distant for a while, and he took the intermission of all the people whi he cared about to make him go back to his regular self. Still, there was times when he would be lost in thought, looking at the void, and even times that he would simply be sad, sometimes without even what it seemed to be a reason.

However, Spyro always recovered, always through a kind word and a little of love from the people who cared about him.

However, lately, Spyro seemed to become more and more like that, and he used to "space out" more frequently, and look at space with that gleam of sadness in his eyes. It always happened during the time of the festivities. Even though Spyro would be distracted by the festivities, and most people would not notice that, Cynder, Sparx, as well as anyone who was trully close to Spyro, and knew him pretty well, would know that, during that time of the year, Spyro always seemed to become sadder.

That was the time that usually they all would try to most to cheer Spyro up, be it by making him participate into the festivities and all the things it offered, or be it in any other way they could think of, even by a simple gesture of love. Like Cynder had choosed to do right now.

She apprached Spyro, and without saying a single word, she started to nuzzle him, as she enveloped him with both her wings, into a big embrace.

Spyro said nothing, nor he tried to push her away. He simply stood there as she hugged him like that, like she had done many times already in their years together. He was slightly surprised, of course, but he accepted the hug and soon, he was enjoying the wamr that came from her body into his', lettign him feel warmer.

"I love you." Cynder whispered to him, just çlike she had done one decade ago, witht he same amount of meaning and feeling for him to hear. "I love you so much."

Spyro smiled, as he soon was returning the hug, and he said, "I love you too." With the same amount of love to her, and he turlly meant every single word, and soon, they both were breaking the hug, and they were looking lovingly at the eyes of each other.

"So, wanna go check on the prepararions?" Cynder asked him sweetly, and Spyro smiled at her, and he simply nodded. With that, thye two dragons soon were walking out of the kitchen and out of their house.

Into the balcony, they both flapped their wings, creating gusts of wind as they raised flight. Though they were bigger and heavier now, their wings now were also bigger and stronger, and it made for them flying be equally easy now as it used to be when they were smaller and lighter.

They soon were raising themselves from the balcony, and they were flying over the city, passing by the streets that were being preared to the incoming festival. It would be started only in one week, still, everybody was already getting ready for it. After all, it was a great celebration that involved the whole city, and so, it demanded a good set of preparation.

Down there, they could see everyone getting all the things ready to the great celebrations that would be held soon, and some of them were already getting into the spirit of it, as it was clear by all the decoration and the games that were being played below them.

Sure, as the purple and black dragons flew over the city, it was only a m,atter of time before people would notice them, and start to point at them, to wave, to clap, and to cheer for them as they passed by.

They were excited to see the two living legends in the flesh, after all, they were the ones who saved everybody and fixed the world together that was breaking apart. They were the reason of all of that was happening in there, and the reason why they were able to be even alive and breathing at all today.

These two were celebrities, and they would, naturally, receive all the glory and fame that was regular to celebrities. Not that Spyro and Cynder complained, they liked the attention, and they liked being well threated by everyone.

Still, sometimes it made a little hard to simply go around, once it seemed that they would find out a fan in every corner, some of them nice and harmless, but others, almost seemed that they wanted to stick into them just like ticks. They ranged from annoying to somewhat scary.

Well, maybe it was the price of being so famous, and the two dragons were forced to have to deal with it.

Still, they were both still being perfectly able to enjoy life, and regularly, have a regular time, walking aroudn like normal people, even with all their fame.

Spyro and Cynder flew for a while, always being looked up from down by the bistanders, who waved and cheered for them. Occasionally a few young children would run across the street, following them as they flew by, waving maddly and calling for them, to try and call their attention.

It took a while, but they were able to finally find a rather empty street where they could land without problems.

Once in the ground, they both agreed to walk the rest of the way, taking time to see the preparations of the festivities from the ground level.

They could see far better all the things that were being done, like the flags put around, and there were also several stands in there being prepared, and some of the were already sealing somethings.

There was one nearby that was sealing small dools that were very much resembling to them. Well, they resembled their younger selfs, as they had gotten to be known by everyone around the lands since that day. Still, there were a few that were more in accordingly to what they were today, grown up and strong dragons.

There was another stands around that was sealing some pieces of transparent crystal that had images engravated inside them. Spyro and Cynder didn't kenw how they did it, but they did. The crystals showed clear images that could see past the glass-like material of the crystal, right on its inside. Most of them depicted the two dragons into several stances and several sittuations. There were a few that depicted significant sittuations of their past, like their final brawl with the Dark Master, the time they both were stuck into the flying ship, the time that Spyro saved xyncder from the convexity, and many more, and there was even some depicting some significant others in their past, like Sparx and the Guardians.

There was another right ahead that was sealing snacks, most of them being sweet biscuits, all of them into the shape of Spyro and Cynder. It was rather cute, but it was somewhat a little disturbing to see people pick up and chew into something that could be a smaller version of them.

There were some ahead that were sealing some articles, like scarfs, hats and some other coverings, all of them with the colors of the festival: purple and black. All of them to help people to get into the spirit of that celebration by wearing in their bodies something that would match all the decoration around them.

There was even one that had some smaller sized statues of Spyro and Cynder, and some screens to paint. For what it seemed, it was a kind of stand in which you could take away a good souvenir. You just needed to pay the right price, and you could stand with the statues, and they would paint a of you with them, as if you were really standing into a picture with Spyro and Cynder themselves. The clever ones could even use this around to claim that they had knew the two legendary dragons in the flesh, and gain somewhat a little of their fame as being their friend. Sure, nor Spyro nor Cynder were sure of how it started, or even how it worked, but it seemed to be among the most popualr things in there, once they always heard that it was one of those which gained the most money.

As the two dragons passed, they still received attention, both in the form of people looking at them as in the form of people actually waving at them and calling their names. People were wanting to have a little of their attnetion, and they were paying them all the respect and the good threatment that was deserved to them, after all they did and all that they had passed through for all of them and for the world and the future.

Some people were even offering them gifts from their stands, be it a doll, a free picture, a small crystal or even food.

The two dragons returned the waves and the compliments in the best way they could, and they politely refused the small gifts that were offered to them. They had been offered gifts form almost everyone across the kingdows. Spyro was not very used to the thing of receiving gifts, then, he didn't felt very much confortable accepting other thigns that people sent to him. So, he usually refused almost everything, and so did cynder, once she shared of Spyro's oppinions.

Still, as they received offers during their walk, Cynder kept insisting that Spyro should accept the ones that were food, once he hadn't eaten breakfast properly that morning. Still, Spyro was still refusing, saying that he wasn't hungry. Cynder only got more and more worried each time he refused.

She knew that she had made Spyro cheer up a little with what she did for him earlier, but it still seemed that Spyro was somewhat down, as if he was trully upset with something. Maybe it was Ignitus death still bothering him? It could very well be. After all, his loss had been something terrible that Spyro ahd to go through.

Cynder looked worried at him, as she saw that, even with this, even with him smiling as he waved back, and looking to be appreciating the stands and all the decoration for the incoming celebrations, it still seemed that Spyro was, deep inside, terrible sad.

"It is all amazing." Spyro said as they walked past the stands, and into a part of the streets that had not been decorated yet, and they were nearly empty, as no one was walking into them or passing by. He and cynder were alone, and he looked at her with a smlie as he said, "They really did it better than last year, didn't they?"

He had a smile on his face as he said it, but deep inside, his eyes did not showed the happiness that he was trying to appear to have, and Cynder noticed it. In that moment, she finally decided that it was enough.

She abruptly stoped, turned around and now she was facing Spyro, looking at him deadly in the eyes. "Spyro, what is the problem?" She asked him, and Spyro seemed surprised by her sudden bluntness and fiercerness.

"What?" He asked, as if he really didn't knew, and Cynder repeated. "Spyro, you have been sad since we woke up. And don't deny it, because I know you too well to know that if you say that nothing is wrong it will not be truth."

Spyro looked at her, and he turned his gaze to the ground. "Cynder... I don't..."

"No!" She said suddenyl, raising a single claw in front of his face. "Spyro, in these years we have been together you never lied to me even once, please, don't start now." She was alsmot pleading, and it was clear not only by her words or by her voice, but also by the look in her face, adn the way that she looked at the purple dragon.

"Spyro, look at me." She said, and the purple dragon kept his head down, looking at the ground beneath him. "Spyro, I'm serious, look at me." She said again, this time, much more fiercerly. Soon, Spyro saw himself with no other choice but the raise his head and look at her. With that, Cynder finally could look into his deep-purple eyes and finally say what she was wanting to say.

"Spyro, I can notice that is something wrong by the way you act, we all can notice." She said, nearing him, and making sure that he was looking into her face all the time. "Spyro, each year, during this time, you get sad, and it seems like you lose a little of your shine."

Spyro tried to look down again, but Cynder put a paw on his chin and forced him to keep his head and his eyes raised to look at her, as she continued "Spyro, I know you are strong, we all know, but that doesn't means that you need to remain keeping your pain and whatever is troubling you all for yourself. This way you will only suffer more, and we don't like seeing you suffer." She said, looking to be turning saddened herself. "Spyro, I hate to see you sad and suffering, and I hate to see you acting distant, as if you don't want anyone else to know that you are sad."

"Spyro, you don't need to push people away and don't talk about your problems only so you can be the strong and invincible hero." She said to him, putting a paw into his' own, making Spyro blush as she looked at him, and she continued once again. "You don't need to keep this acting with me. Please, I know that you are not okay, and I know that you need to talk. Please, just be honest with me, please."

For a long moment, they both locked eyes, as they tried to read each other's emotions. Spyro looked deep into Cynder's green eyes, and Cynder looked back into his purple ones. There was a long and lasting moment of the heaviest silence as they both only kept like that. After this Spyro let out a long sigh, as he looked to the ground, and then, he finally decide3d to just speak and be totally honest.

"Yes, Cynder... There is something bothering me." Spyro said, once more looking away, as if he dind't wanted to see Cynder's face. It was hard to him to talk about it with anyone. Even with Cynder, his mate.

The black dragoness was not surprised at all, as it was easy to notice that there was somethign bothering Spyro, and so, she said, "And what is it?"

There was a moment of silence, and Spyro let out a heavy sigh, as he finally spoke. "I feel like somethign is off." He was still looking away, as he continued, "I feel like something is missing."

Cynder looked at him for a while, and she said, "What do you mean?"

Spyro then said, "I have been feeling like that since we lost Ignitus."

Well, that was also another thign that Cynder was already expecting, after all, Spyro and Ignitus always had been really close.

"Ignitus used to be like a father to me." Spyro continued, looking down. "He had always been there for me, and he cared for me, and he helped me whenever I needed. But since we... lost him, I started feeling lost. As if I had lost the only family that I trully had. As if some part of me had gone missing."

Cynder looked at him as he said it, and it was easy to notice that it wasn't easy for him to talk about it. Ignitus death had been a hard blow for everyone, and it was particularly hard to Spyro. It seemed that his death really had affected him, so it was still bothering him even now, more than one decade later.

"I know, Spyro." She said, gently nuzzling him, "We all miss him too."

There was a moment, and Spyro said, "But... is not only that."

This made Cynder look curious at him, and Spyro sighed, as he continued. "It took me a while to come to terms with him not being here anymore, but... I think I managed to it, and still, there is something..."

Cynder looked at him, as Spyro looked away, this time, at the sky.

"Each year, when we come to this time, I usually think back at Ignitus, and at all we passed together, and about how much a miss him." Spyro continued, looking at the wide sky above, almost seeming that he was lost or that he was in a very distant daydream. "Each time that I think back at him, I can't help but think that he was a family to me."

"This makes me think that... I never trully had a family of my own."

Cynder looked at him, as he continued. "Sure, I had Sparx, and I had his prents, who raised me, but... I never had my true family by my side... I never knew my true parents... I never knew who they were, or how they looked. I never knew if I had any sinblings. I never knew who I trully was at all."

Cynder looked at him.

"Each time I think like that, I get the feeling that there is a part of my life that is missing." Spyro said, looking and sounding sad as he looked at the sky. "I feel like that, by not knowing my family, I'm incomplete. That I'll never trully know what is my place and what should I do of my life. I feel like a very important part of who I am, and of my own life just... that is just isn't there. Do you understand?"

Spyro didn't really expected Cynder to understand. He didn't understood it well himself. It was just a feeling that he had. A feeling that somethign was missing in his life. That there was somethign that should be there but it wasn't, and that made him feel like his existence was incomplete.

He tried to shake away that feeling by thinking about all the thigns that he had, and it usually worked, but, for some reason, when it came to this time of the year, these feelings became far stronger, and he could not sahke them away as easily as he did at any other time of the year. Maybe it had to do with beign the tiem of the year in which he lost Ignitus, or maybe it was because a lot of families came to Warfang at this time, parents with their kids, and it ended up making Spyro think back about it. Whatever reason was, this time of the year was proving to be rather difficult for Spyro, and he always felt like he was more lonely at this time, even with all the people who he loved all around him.

He wasn't sure of how Cynder would react, but he was almsot completelly sure that she would not understand it. At this time, he raised his head to look at her, and so, she hugged him again, and she whispered. "I'm sorry to hear it, Spyro." She was hugging him thight as she said these words. "Sometimes, I wonder about my parents too. I know that it is trully hard."

She understood.

Spyro seemed to alwasy forget that Cynder had lost just as much as him... no... she lost much more than him. While he had an adoptive family to care and fend for him, she had nothing. She had lost much more than him, maybe much more than most people in the lands because of that war.

In the end, Cynder somehow knew what he was passing through, and she understood his pain. In that moment, Spyro wondered why he never trully talked to her about it.

"Spyro, I know it is hard, and that you have lost so much, but, look around you." She said, looking him lovingly in the eyes. "Look at all we both had done, at all we achieved together, at all we have now." She said, smiling at him, trying to cheer him up. "You don't have to feel alone, because you are not. We have all of us... You have me."

Spyro looked at her, feeling really touched by all of that Cynder was speaking to him, even more because he could see in her eyes that she really meant every single word. He could see all the love that he knew that she felt for him reflected in her eyes, and all the worry she was having for seeing him sad like that, and all her wish that he would trully cheer up and smile at her. She was trully worried about him, and she didn't liked seeing him sad like that. Knowing that she cared so much about him was enough to make his heart fliutter as he felt himself suddenly being filled by a feeling of belonging and love. A feeling that Cynder had lerned over the years to make him feel whenever he was feeling down, and after one decade together, she seemed to have became a real master at this art.

Spyro smiled at her, as he leaned over, and planted his caly lips into her's taking her into a kiss. They alredy had a lot of them in the last eleven years. Hundreds of them, possibly thousands, and each of thyem seemed to become sweeter than the last. This one was absolutelly no exception.

Cynder was a little taken baqck, but soon, she was smiling as she returned the kiss livingly, and for a long moment, it was like the world around them was dissapearing as they shared that magical moment. After a while, they finally broke it apart, and looked lovingly into each other's eyes, and Spyro said, after regaining his breath.

"Thank you, Cynder." His voice was full of love, and he used a paw to gently caress her cheek as she looked at him the same way. "Thank you for always trying your best to make me happy, and for never giving up on me and letting me to my own feelings."

Cynder smiled back, and she said, "You know that I always will be here for you, Spyro."

The purple dragon nooded. Indeed, he knew pretty well this. He knew since day one that Cynder would always be by his side, and that he would face all the troubles with her right by his side. She would never leave him as long as he was in trouble. She would alwasy be by his side in the good and bad moments. After all, these were the vows they had made. Vows which were simbolized by the silvery bracers that each of them had in the right front ankle. The symbol of their holy union under the eyes of the Ancestors.

It was hard to believe that they had been married for five years already, and it had been part of the happiest years of their lives. They would become the paragon of a happily married couple, among all the other paragons that they shared together.

After a while, it seemed that Spyro had recovered most of his usual happy self, and he smiled at Cynder, and asked, "Well, what we shall see now?"

Cynder was happy for seeing Spyro recover his usual shine, and she was more than happy to make it own into the day with him. "What about we go to see the games they are gettign ready? I heard they have a new bank that is specially for dragons of the water element."

"Seems fun." Spyro said, as he was soon walking besides cynder, and they both were smiling,as they walked forward, and it seemed that the problem that was tormenting Spyro had finally dissapeared from sight.

However, Cynder could notice that the sadness tyhat she could feel into Spyro, though having subsided very much, had not dissapeared completelly, and it was still there, somewhere deep in his eyes and, witohut any doubt, into his soul. It was somethign deep, and cynder knew it well, it was not the kind of thing that would go away easily. It was like the guilt that the black dragoness still felt in her heart for having one day been the "Terror of the Skies". Even though these days were way behind her, nd everybody seemed to have already forgave her for all of that, the guolty and the memories of the things she had done still plagged her mind, and gave her nightmares from time to time.

This was the kind of thing that could never dissapear completelly, and she knew it pretty well.

Spyro's sittuation, despite not being as bad or as disturbing, was deep, and it was something that would most likely always be with him, no matter how much time passe,d or how happy he actually was. And this worried Cynder a lot.

However, it also made her be happier. Because she knew by her own experience that this kind of thing would not prevent him from living his life. She was able herself to live happy and satisfied, with a lot of love in her heart and a bright sifght for her future. If she could be so happy even after all she had gone through, then there was no reasont o think that Spyro would not also be able to be happy, even with this pain bothering his mind.

Cynder would make sure of that. She would make sure that Spyro would see a bright future ahead of himself, just as she saw one ahead of herself with his help, by having him by her side. Even because, after all the thigns they had gone through, adfter all the suffering they passed together, and all their trials and tribulations, it is to expect that their future could only bring forth better days.

Right?

Cynder liked to believe it.

And this thought was what filled her mind as she leaned over, alsmot resting agianst spyro as they both walked together. Spyro nuzzled her back as they walked very close, entwirning their tailas as they walked, passing by the empty streets ahead of them, and now, the troubles seemed to be turning into a far away memory.


	2. Prophetic Dream

Spyro and Cynder walked side by side as they passed by the streets, receiving all the attention as they passed. They passed by several other stands, and in the way, they saw some of the games that had alredy been set into preparation for the festivities.

There were games of throwing rings, trying to make them land right into the horns of small statues of dragons. There were games of throwing darts into targets, and also some games of throwing balls at bottles, to make them fall. There were these and many others, from which there were prizes to who was able to do so.

Of course, Spyro and Cynder knew that some of these games were actually scans, with little to no chance of winning. Still, there were a lot of people who played these games, and the authorities seemed not to mind this, so the stands were left alone. Spyro and Cynder were even invited by the owners of the banks to try their luck in the games, but both dragons were far too smart to fall for it, so they simply walked past them and continued on their way.

As they walked, Spyro and Cynder saw a little more interesting things, like a few posters which were placed around the place, indicating some contests that were going to be held into the festivities. There was a dancing contest, which was going to be for the best dancer with a prize of precious gems. There was also a cooking contest, to test the abilities of cooking of the people with another generous prize in gems.

Cynder and Spyro also saw a poster that was depicting the main attraction of the festivities that year: a great group of travelling unicorn magicians. They were called "The Fantastic Five", and the poster said that they had abilities that "would make anyone faint in a state of pure awe", as it was written in there.

Of course, unicorns were known for having the biggest ability with magic of the world, some said that they surpassed even the magical abilities of dragons. Well, it was sure that they had more flexibility with magic than the dragons, who could only wield it into elemental form, and they used it as easily as they used out their own four paws, and they showed great skill. Well, at least that could say of the unicorns that Spyro and Cynder had met during their lives, and they had already met quite a few. Anyway, these unicorns looked as if they were really famous, and Spyro and Cynder themselves had already heard a little about them, but they never had the chance of seeing a presentation of them. Well, maybe it was their chance.

"So, what do you say, lets check it out?" Cynder offered, nudging Spyro slightly, and the purple dragon said, "Yeah, if they are as good as they say, than I guess it will be great." And they both laughed a little about this, and soon, they were still walking, seeing around the place. They passed by a big place that seemed to be a "hall of fame", in which had the pictures that Cynder had saw earlier, as if it was a tour at the past of the young dragons and into all of their adventures. The price to enter and walk in it was quite high, but the two dragons had no doubt that there was going to have at least one person who was going to pay to go in there.

They passed by this, and they continued walking. It was only a few minutes later that they had heard a voice calling at them. "GUYS!"

Both dragons turned around at the familiar voice, and saw a small, buzzing, flying dot of golden light flying in their direction. This was one was more than familiar to both of them.

"Sparx!" Said Spyro, happy for seeing his adoptive brother in there. The dragonfly came closer, and he was smiling at the two, and happy for seeing both of them again. Nowadays Sparx lived in the swamp, along with the rest of Spyro's adoptive family, and he had, believe it or not, started his own family! Sparx now had a wife back home and three young dragonflies for his children.

"So how are the children?" asked Cynder to the young dragonfly, with who she had been in better terms for quite a long time now, since their return. Sparx smiled at her, and he said, "Well, Hillana is watching these three little pests and I managed to sneak out before she could push them into me. What? Like I was going to lose all the free food that they give to the brother of the purple dragon!" He finished after the looks that Spyro and Cynder had gave him.

Many would expect this kind of thing to make Sparx develop more responsibility, and to make him turn more mature. However, it was not the case of that dragonfly, as Spyro and Cynder had realized too soon that it was not in Sparx nature to change so much. Even if now he had a family, and that he clearly was still going to be that same goofball that they both had came to know very well. They both were even able to chuckle a little at Sparx's still childish ways. The fact was that it was always nice to see him, it was always good to have him around to make them laugh a little.

And that was what Sparx always did, making them smile and making them laugh of the things as Sparx was always making joke out of mostly anything. He was exactly what they needed to clean their minds form the troubles and from all their worries that still lurked in their minds, as they kept walking, talking about all kinds of things as they walked but, mostly they were hearing to Sparx talking about the life as a married guy and a father.

"Man, people who say that being father is wonderful most haven't tried it." Sparx said to the two dragons, with a slightly smirk on his face. "Babies are small, they are loud and they don't give you a second of rest. You need to keep an eye on them all the time, change them, feed them and you barely have time to have fun anymore!"

The two dragons smiled as they shred a look, it was only Sparx being Sparx. "Oh, come one, Sparx." Said Spyro to his adoptive brother, "We know that you love being a father."

Sparx smiled at him, and he said, "Yeah, you are right. I love these little, loud, slimy little guys." He was smiling as he said that, and he really meant it, as he continued. "I mean, they get on my nerves but they are just so cute, and they make me feel special. Also, I'm their hero! Man, they really think I'm awesome! This is one of the few advantages of being a father, otherwise it would be only changing diapers and feeding."

The two dragons laughed at sparx, and the dragonfly flew near them, as he spoke, "Still, I wish I had more time to do the things I like. I mean, I can't go around anytime I want, and I need to have someone keeping an eye on them all the time, and also, I have to think about their future and be careful with what I say when I'm near them because, you know, there are somethings that you shouldn't say near a kid."

The two dragons nodded, and Sparx continued, "Also, since they came Hillana has been on my tail ore than ever! Man, having kids is hard! That's why I say that if someone wants to have kids you need to think VERY well, because once you do it, there is no turning back!" He sounded overly dramatic as he said it, and Spyro and Cynder could not avoid but smile at the way Sparx talked, as he made it seem that being a father was both terrible and great. As he spoke, Cynder had a curious look in her face, and after a while, she smiled as she said, "Hey, I have one thing to do now."

"Huh?" Both dragon and dragonfly looked at the dragoness, as she only said, "I just remembered that I got to met someone now, and I might take a while. You boys will stay well while I'm gone?" She asked them, as if they were both kids who were gonna be left alone. Well, she knew Spyro and she knew that he was mature and that he was not going to get himself in any trouble, Sparx however, was another story, and she didn't doubted that the dragonfly could probably not only get himself in trouble but also somehow drag Spyro along with him.

Both boys shared a look, and Spyro asked, "Where are you going?"

Cynder smiled at him, and she said, "I have an appointment now and I really need to go."

"It is about these dizziness you have been feeling lately?" Asked Spyro, and Sparx looked at him, "Dizziness?"

"Yeah, kind of." Cynder said, as she smiled at Spyro, and the purple dragon said, "Are you going to see the doctor again?" And Cynder nodded at him, and Sparx asked, "Hey, what doctor?"

"Are you sure you are okay?" The purple dragon asked, completely ignoring Sparx, and Cynder smiled at him, "I'll be fine, okay, I just need to check it out. I'll be back later on, okay?" She asked, and she nuzzled him, and this made Spyro smile, as he wished her good luck and soon, Cynder was flapping her wings and flying away, leaving Spyro behind, along with Sparx, who was looking at her go away, and then he looked at his purple brother, before saying, "Should I use my invisibility to the good or for my selfish purposes?"

Spyro finally gave him attention, and he said, "Sorry."

"So, will you please explain me what was that about?" Asked the dragonfly, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and Spyro finally smiled at him, and he started explaining.

"Lately Cynder has got some strange feelings in her." Spyro explained, and Sparx looked at him as he asked "Feelings... like what?"

"Well, she has been feeling dizziness from time to time, and she sometimes also feels sick and she starts to puke fro time to time. Sometimes it happens suddenly." He explained to the young dragonfly, who nodded slowly at it.

"I see... Something else?" Sparx asked to the purple dragon, giving the impression that he knew exactly what it was about, as if he was a medic already. Spyro would have said that he understood nothing about dragon medicine, but he decided not too, and so, he simply continued to tell the dragonfly.

"Also, sometimes she gets hungry a lot, and she eats a lot, and sometimes she eats a lot only to puke it back out, and also, she lately have been wanting to eat strange things..." Spyro cringed a little as he remembered the things that Cynder had said that she wanted to eat, all of them made Spyro feel dizzy.

Sparx nodded as he asked, "How long has it been?"

"Around two weeks now." Spyro asked, as he looked at the dragonfly, who seemed like he really knew what it was about. "Do you know what it is?"

Sparx took a few moments into seemingly knowledge, but he said, "No, sorry." Spyro sighed, shaking his head as he should already expect that. "Still, it all sounds me familiar." Sparx added as he flew near Spyro's head, and he said, "I just don't remember from where..."

Spyro laughed a little, as he didn't knew what to say about his dragonfly friend, who had this thing of making people all over him and then going with one of these to make them laugh. Sparx had always been a comedy, since Spyro could remember, and not even the years that had passed were able to change that.

"Well, I guess I'm going to remember right before I get to sleep." Sparx said, shrugging it off as he flew near Spyro, and he said, "Well, lets get to see one of these new snacks they are selling! I'm starved!"

Soon he and Sparx were both walking in direction to a few places that were selling snacks, and Sparx, of course, chosen a good amount of them for himself. It was surprisingly how much Sparx could eat being so small, still, he ate in proportion to his size, which was actually not very much.

It was lucky that Spyro was around, because Sparx had not a single gem or coin with himself to pay for the food he was eating, and Spyro needed to ask people to give it for free. Having the purple dragon, savior of the world, as your brother, was advantageous, as people were willing to give things to you for free, like food and you could eat all you could without having to worry on currency.

Sparx ate a good amount before he was actually satisfied. Finally, the two could keep on going, with Sparx floating a little slower due to the extra weight he had gained in the past minutes. Spyro ws still getting amazed at how much and how quick Sparx could eat, it was almost as if he didn't even chewed the food before eating what, Spyro remembered himself, was actually possible.

"Where do you put so much food, Sparx?" Spyro asked at his little friend, as the dragonfly let out a burp and he patted his belly as he sighed, "I dunno, maybe is the stress? Yeah, because if you try to raise three kids with a mate that at one moment wants to hug you and the other eat your head is not exactly a sea of flowers."

Spyro laughed at it, and Sparx continued, "Yeah, but I guess it is worth it, because have my family. After all, a man without a family is not a man."

Sparx didn't knew it, but he had just said the wrong thing. This had just brought Spyro back to the subject that he had discussed earlier on with Cynder. The subject of his true family, and the fact of them not being there with him. Spyro looked down, and he was saddened, but Sparx didn't noticed it.

"Yeah, because you always heard what dad said, right? 'Nothing is more important than family. It make you whole and gives your life a purpose and a meaning.' Yeah, basically you are no one if you don't have your own family... Spyro?" Sparx said, suddenly noticing that Spyro had suddenly became down and blues.

The purple dragon looked down at the street that he stepped on as he sighed. After a few moments, he said, "I'm... going back home." And he turned around the leave, looking bloom, and he continued, "If Cynder asks, just tell her that I'll be in our home."

And with that said, Spyro flapped his wings and got up from he ground, flying away, as Sparx called behind him, "Hey, wait! Was it something I said?" The poor dragonfly really didn't had a clue.

Spyro barely minded, he just wanted to get home.

* * *

After a while of flying, punctued by other people pointing, cheering and waving at him, trying to get his attention, Spyro finally landed into the roof of his house, and walked inside. His feet were almost dragging into the ground, as he was now feeling somewhat worse than he usually did that time of the year.

He sighed, as he headed back to the main bedroom, a big one with a big, circular bed in it, in which he and Cynder usually slept together. Spyro walked to it, and he barely gave any attention to the decoration, that they had most likely done especially for him and Cynder, and he simply walked to the bed, covered into purple mantresses, and he laid on to of it, barely even minding that it was still in the middle of the day, and it probably had not even hit the midday mark, as he simply didn't wanted to be wake up anymore.

Spyro let out a big sigh as all that Sparx had said echoed into is head, about the thing of being nothing if you don't have a family. Yes, he had his adoptive family, and he was always going to have them, as well as Sparx, his adoptive brother, and he also knew that he would always have Cynder by his side, no matter what would happen, but still...

He didn't had his true family.

He just didn't needed them.

He had Ignitus. He had the fire guardian, who was like a father to him. However, Spyro had lost him long ago. He still had nightmares with that night.

Now, Spyro was feeling alone. Even though he had all his friends and loved ones with him, he still felt like he was alone. He still felt like a important part of him was just not there, and that made him feel terrible. He just felt lost and that he was incomplete. He felt like there was something else that was supposed to be in there but wasn't.

Spyro could not shake away this feeling, no matter how much he tried, no matter how much he repeated to himself over and over again that he was not alone and that he had a lot of people around who cared for him. He would still think back to he family that he never had and who was not there for him. The family who was taken from him, probably before he was even hatched. A family who most likely loved him and who probably would have made him very, very happy, and who would have been happy for having him around too. A family that he was, most likely, never going to known in his life, all because of a war that started many years before he was even conceived.

As Spyro laid in the bed, and as he slowly drifted out to a slumber induced by sadness, he could simply not help but think that, even with all of them by his side, it was like he would always be alone.

Alone...

As Spyro drifted to a deep slumber, and he started to snore softly, he failed to notice a single figure sneaking into his room, enveloped into shadows, its shining eyes focused into the purple dragon, as it was holding something in its hand.

* * *

 _"IGNITUS! NO!" Spyro cried out in horror as he looked at the flames. He could no longer see the fire guardian, neither could he hear his voice making any sound. However, he knew that he was in there, that he was in the middle of the fire, that he was never going to get out of there._

 _Spyro felt the despair creeping in his heart, crushing him from the insides, and making all his hope disappear, as the only family that he had was vanishing in front of his eyes. He still could not accept. It could not be. Ignitus could not be gone. HE COULD NOT BE GONE!_

 _But... he was... The truth was sinking in heavily into Spyro, as the despair was becoming unbearable, and he could only curl up and start to sob, as he was now left alone._

 _This time, there was no one around to comfort him. No one to come to him and tell him that it was okay. No one there to help him or to give him support of any kind. He was alone. He was all alone, and it made things even worse._

 _He had no one..._

 _"Young dragon." Said a voice, as Spyro looked up, and he had a shocked look in his face, as he saw the flames ahead of him splitting, to reveal what he recognized as the silhouette of a very familiar dragon in front of him._

 _"I-I-Ignitus?" Spyro asked, his voice shaken, his vision still blurred by the tears that he had been crying, however the sihlouette was clear as day, as Spyro could easily make out all that there was to be made out of the of the image of the fire dragon, though it was still enveloped in flames, and it was cloaked from his plain sight._

 _Spyro could barely even describe what he was feeling, he wanted to run to him. To jump in him and to hug him. He barely even minded the flames, he just wanted to rush to his direction and finally meet with him again._

 _The dragon in the flames, however, turned around and started to leave. Spyro did not understood this, as the dragon was walking away, and Spyro said, "No! Wait!" And he ran after him into the hallway of flames that was formed._

 _As he ran, he saw paths opening into the fire, showing crossroads, and many paths that he could follow. He could easily spot the figure across the flames. Still, at the times he would lose the figure from sight, his unmistakable voice would come to call fro him, telling him: "This way." "Young dragon" "This way."_

 _It was Ignitus voice, he was calling for him. Spyro only knew that. He knew that he should follow, he barely needed a good reason. He just wanted to get near him and to see him again. But, if he was calling for Spyro to some to him, then why he was running away? Why was he escaping him as if it was some kind of game? What was this all? What was the meaning?_

 _But Spyro barely minded these questions, for he was only caring about reaching Ignitus, in reaching the person who was so important to him. He wanted to be with him again and see his face again, even if it was only a last time._

 _He ran after him for what seemed to be forever, until he finally reached him. Ignitus was still enveloped into a cloak of flames, his features still h8ideen, but his shape was unmistakable. "Ignitus!" Spyro said, running to him, and standing away form him a few feet, unable to get closer due to the hotness of the flames, but still, getting as close as he could._

 _"Spyro." The dragon said, his voice sounding distant, as if he was speaking to the younger dragon from the bottom of a cave._

 _"Yeah?" Spyro said, barely holding back his tears as he looked at the silhouette of the fire dragon, wanting now just to jump at him and nuzzle him._

 _"Spyro, listen to me." Said the dragon in the flames. "You have grown so much." Spyro felt his heart soar as he could sense the pride with which the fire guardian said these words. "You have passed by so much, and now, you can live in peace. That is why it pains me to give you something to worry about in a time like that. However, it is needed."_

 _Spyro didn't understood, he just gave Ignitus a puzzled look as he could not see his face through the cloak of fire, but he was pretty sure that the fire guardian himself could see him pretty well._

 _"Spyro, there is a new journey ahead of you. A Journey that has danger, and a Journey that might be challenging to you." Ignitus continued to speak, from behind his veil of flames "You will face challenges and trials along the way, and you will need to be strong for when you reach the end of it."_

 _"W-what?" Said Spyro, looking at the dragon behind the fire, "W-what journey? For what? What are you talking about?"_

 _"It is a journey to find what has been taken form you long ago." The fire dragon continued, and he said, "To find the ones who are so dear to you."_

 _Spyro looked at him with a blank expression. Could it be... no... He... He could not be talking about... He could not really mean it... Or could he?_

 _Ignitus finally said, "Young dragon, you will now be set into a quest to find your true parents." He just said it like that, and before Spyro could say anything about it, or ask any other question, the figure vanished, and Spyro was left alone._

 _"Wha- Wait!" Spyro said, looking around at all the sides, trying to pin-point Ignitus again, to ask him what he meant, and to ask for more information. However, he didn't saw the silhouette of the big dragon again, instead, he only saw the flames around him, forming a clearing around himself._

 _"Ignitus! Come back! What do you mean!?" He called out, expecting to see the fire dragon finally come out of the flames around and tell him everything._

 _Instead, he saw something else._

 _He looked over, and he could make out not one, but two shapes into the fire. These figures, though he could not make out their shape or who they really were, he could definitely tell that none of them was Ignitus._

 _One of them was slender and was more delicate in shapes, actually, it was feminine. Whoever it was, was actually a dragoness, and she looked at him, along with the other figure. This other one was a male, being big and muscled, even more than Ignitus. This figure was big and somewhat threatening. However, it didn't gave the feeling of fear, instead, he somehow gave him a feeling of security._

 _In fact, Spyro was sure that these two figures were strange to him, and he had no idea who they were. Still, they gave him a feeling. It was, a good feeling. A feeling of security, of familiarity._

 _It was as if he knew them..._

 _However, before he could think Spyro felt himself being pulled away, as if something was pulling him back._

* * *

Spyro gasped as he raised his head suddenly, breathing heavily as he looked around his room, the two figures that he had just saw in his dream still in his mind, just like every single detail of the place he was before, and all he had heard, seen and felt in there. It was vivid. Maybe too vivid to have been just a dream.

Spyro breathed heavily, as he moved his leg, and in that moment, he saw something in his paw, it was a single scroll, folded and left in there, resting in his foreleg. Spyro blinked as he looked at it, and suddenly, he had a sudden feeling like he was not alone in his room.

Darting his eyes up, he quickly scanned the room, and for a moment, he caught a single glimpse of who was in there, and it was not Cynder. It was not even a dragon. This figure was bipedal, and was all dressed up into black. It had a big cloak that covered it from head to toe and didn't gave space to see the body of the creature, and even its head was enveloped into black cloth, that covered everything except for the eyes, and Spyro knew that because the figure turned to look at him.

For a moment, Spyro felt himself being pierced by these blue eyes, so deep that he could get lost in them and so powerful that Spyro had a feeling that they could pierce him and reach to the bottom of his very own soul.

However, it all lasted only for a few moments, because in that moment, Spyro blinked, and just like that, the figure was not there anymore. Spyro looked around, searching for the figure, but it was no longer there.

He could not seem it anywhere, nor he could heard it or get it's scent, it was almoet as it had completely vanished. Almost as it has never even been in there. But Spyro _knew_ that it was in there, and he knew that he had seen... whatever it was, and that it had been in there. And it has left something for him.

Looking at the scroll that laid folded into his leg, Spyro stared at it for several moments, wondering what that meant, and what was the purpose of all of it. His mind was in a fuzz and he felt hazed by all that had happened, still, somehow he was still able to make a sense, to make a head and a tail out of it all.

Reaching out, Spyro reached for the scroll, and he gently picked it up. At first sight, it seemed rather normal.

Spyro could not avoid thinking: who would invade his house to leave it to him.

He and Cynder were known for being the more powerful dragons alive, and years after the defeat of Malefor they were still being powerful. People knew better than not to get in their bad side, and this included invading their house without being invited. People knew that there was easier ways of getting hurt, and they avoided this kind of thing, unless they had suicide tendencies.

Still, there were people around who were brave, crazy or stupid enough to make something like that, what would somehow grant you a problem. Still, it was amazing that someone had chosen to break in exactly in their house, and exactly when Spyro was in there. That someone had purposely approached him as he slept and left something for him under the possibility of the purple dragon waking up, seeing it, and getting it straight in the act and possibly reacting with violence. Spyro himself was not violent, but if he caught a stranger in his house, specially after waking up suddenly like that, he would probably act out of instinct.

Still, someone seemed to have went through all that risk and all that trouble to deliver him a scroll.

Why?

Why getting into so much only to deliver him that?

Wasn't it easier to sent it by the mail?

Why take so much effort simply to put that straight into his lap, literally?

Was it important? Was it some kind of message?

Well, Spyro knew that he wanted to find out why someone would have so much trouble.

So, he unfolded the scroll, after all, a simply piece of paper could not hold danger, right?

Once unfolded, Spyro started to read it.

His eyes widened after he got into the third paragraph, and he had to read it seven more times to be completelly sure that he had read it right.

After this, he continued to read, his eyes widening more into each line he read, and soon, he felt his hands shaking slightly as he read the last lines.

After that, he simply dropped the scroll, which fell to his bed. His paws, however, still were in the same position, as if he was still holding the scroll, and his gaze was still into the same place that the scroll once was, seeming to be lost. Spyro ws still trying to collect his thoughts into what he had just read from the scroll.

Was it true?

What he just read was true?

Or was it some kind of prank? If it was, it was of very poor taste!

However, he recalled back at his dream, at all that had happened. At the figure that went through all the work to get it straight into his paws. Spyro finally lowered his paws, breathing slightly as he simply stood sitting over his bed...

* * *

Back outside, Sparx was laying over a pile of straw, snoring softly as he was resting after a good meal.

The Dragonfly was moving slightly as he slept, and he was mumbling something in his sleep.

"Zzzzz... hungry..." He mumbled as he turned his body, one moment laying on his side and on the other laying on his back or over his chest, with his wings up and buzzing slightly. "Zzzzz... nausea... zzzz... strange food..."

He said to himself as he moved, and at one moment, when he was laying at his back, with his arms sprawled to his sides, his eyes suddenly snapped open and he got up almost in a jump, gasping.

For a moment, he just stood there, sitting, with his eyes widen and looking at the void, as he finally said. "I remembered." And after a few moments he said, "Oh... My... God..."

And soon after, he was buzzing away, crying out. "Spyro! SpyroSpyroSpyroSpyroSpyroSpyro!" He cried out like mad as he flew past a lot of people around, not minding that he was going to look crazy to anyone who saw him along the way. He had to find Spyro.

"Spyroooooooo!" He cried out, almost wailing as he went on, looking to all sides as his mind suddenly had went blank with the realization that had came to him during his sleep. He had to find Spyro now, he had to tell him.

Though he didn't found Spyro, he found someone else, and he only did because someone found her before he did.

"Look! It's Cynder!" Someone said, and Sparx quickly looked up to see the familiar form of the black dragoness flying above.

"Cynder!" Sparx cried out, as he flew right to her. Not to ask her if she saw Spyro, but because it had directly to deal with her, and he wanted to confirm with her if it was what he was thinking or not.

"Cynder! CynderCynderCynderCynderCynderCynder!" Sparx cried as he flew next to her. She looked at him, and she was smiling. It was not a wicked smile, like it used to be when she was the Terror of the Skies. Actually, this smile was very nice, and happy. Cynder seemed to be happy. Actually, more than just happy, she seemed to be vibrant.

"Oh! Hi Sparx, who are you doing?" She asked him into a very happy tune, which only added weight to Sparx's suspects.

"Cynder! Idonthavetimeineedtoaskyounowifyouareheavierbecauseofspyro!" He said, trampling one word with the other as he tried to put it out. Cynder looked at him for a moment, as both of them were flying, with the people below pointing at Cynder was waving at her, and said a simple "What?"

Sparx took a moment to breathe, and he repeated the word. "Cynder, you are... you are..." He tried to say, and after, he gestured over his belly, making a semi-circular movement at it, as if to show a bloated belly.

Cynder stared at him, and she said, "Am I gaining weight?" She said, rubbing her own mid-section, and Sparx slapped his own face as he suddenly groaned.

"Grrr! And they say I am slow!" And he turned back to Cynder "I want to know if you are expecting!" He blurted it out, and only Cynder could hear him.

Cynder looked at him, as she finally realized what he was trying to ask, and she had to say that, she was rather surprised for Sparx having got it. She smiled at him, and she said. "You want to know if I'm pregnant, don't you?"

Sparx looked at her, silently pleading for an answer. She was smiling, and she said, "Yes, Sparx, I _am_ pregnant." She had a very happy smile as she said it, and she continued. "I was already suspecting and I went to the doctor a few times to confirm it. He just told me that it is for sure." She said, as she rubbed her own belly, where there was something growing in the inside. "I'm going to be mother."

"Oh. My. Gawd!" Sparx said, as it only confirmed the sudden suspicion he had. He knew that he had heard about all the symptoms before! He had seen they all on his wife right after she told him about that she was heavy with eggs! Well, at least by what he remembered, he was pretty sure that he had passed out five times as she told him before the new finally sank in.

Man! How could he forget about that!? Spyro was going to be a father, and he was going to be uncle! Man, these are the kinds of things that you need to know, so you will be able to tell to your brother!

"This is... wow... I mean, you two are... wow... And, this also mean that you two will... wow..." He said, unable to even find the right words to describe what was going to happen next. Cynder could only chuckle at him. She was very happy.

After all, she was going to have her own children, and she was having a family now. Many people would become really happy with this news, even if they were sudden. Cynder herself had wanted kids for a while now. Since one year ago, actually, and she often imagined how it would be to have children.

Now she finally had it, and they were great news. She knew that it was a big step, but she felt like she was ready for it. She was ready to take on this new phase of her life and to start tis new adventure with Spyro by her side. After all, he was the father of these children, and she was sure that he might be a little scared at the prospect of being a father, but she was sure that he was going to love the idea, just like her.

Sparx seemed to still trying to coup with the idea, as he seemed to be still trying to finish off the phrases, but failing in them. However, at one moment, he brought the important subject ahead. "Does Spyro already know?"

"No." Cynder said to him, smiling, "Unless that now he can read minds from distance. I just came out from the doctor."

"Oh..." Sparx said, remaining silence for a few moments, before saying. "How do you think he is going to react? I mean, suddenly hearing from your wife that she is going to give birth can shake a man, believe me, I know it full well."

Cynder chuckled, and she said, "Yeah, I guess he is going to be surprised, but I'm sure that he will love to be a father."

"Well, if you say so..." And there was another brief silence, before he said again. "So, you already decided for a name?" He asked, and Cynder smiled, "Well, I guess I'll have to decide this with Spyro. But I think I already have a few ideas for names for them."

"Them?" Sparx asked, and Cynder smiled to him, and she said, "According to the doctor, they are going to be five eggs."

Sparx almost dropped as he heard it, barely being able to keep himself up as he take these news.

"Five?" Sparx asked, shaken, and Cynder only smiled back. Wow, these two are up for a hard time in the future. That was all that Sparx was able to think as he flew side by side with Cynder. He had three and he already had a lot of troubles, he was just wondering how these two were going to deal with five young dragons running back and forth around the house. They were most likely going to need to reform the house, or find a bigger one. Well, it was not going to be trouble, after all, they both had some cash in them.

During this, Sparx managed to talk to her a little. "Yeah, this explain the nausea and the cravings. Well, lucky thing you didn't had the mood swings just like Hillana had, man, there were times that it seemed that she was ready to rip out my heart and eat it."

"Who said I didn't?" Asked Cynder, looking at Sparx, and the dragonfly looked back at her, and she only smiled. "Believe me, I had a hard time keeping it on check."

"Oh..." Was all that Sparx was able to say, and he wondered just how Spyro didn't noticed it. Well, Cynder probably had a lot of self control. He knew that Spyro would have noticed if she was more aggressive than normal. Unless that her normal self was usually very aggressive...

Sparx had no time to say more, as Cynder said, "I'm going now to tell Spyro." She seemed very happy, and a little excited as she said it. "I bet it will make him feel very happy."

"I bet he will freak out." Sparx said, and soon, they both were flying over, to reach the house.

They quickly landed in the roof that was the balcony of the house in which Spyro and Cynder lived, and as soon as they walked inside, someone came to greet them. "Good afternoon, miss Cynder."

The one who had greeted them was a bulky and muscled tiger. He had white fur with black stripes, and his eyes were deep-blue, just like the sky in the middle of the summer. He was wearing a blue outfit with shirt and pants, and his naked paws touched the ground. This one was one of Spyro and Cynder's employers. His name was... well, the didn't really knew, but everybody called him Paw. Yeah, it was not very creative, but it was how he liked being called, and everybody had already got used to call him that.

He was a worker, and he was known for making houses and other objects with his won bare hands. He was strong and was very efficient in his work, that was why he was the kind of guy you usually didn't messed with if you were not wanting to have a broken arm, or leg, or neck. He was also the kind of person you would search for if you needed anything done or fixed around the place. He was very good at what he did.

The reason he was in there was because he worked in there. For a few years now, a long while, actually, he had been worked for Cynder and Spyro, and they didn't needed to ask him to work for them. He was one of these people who were willing to do things for Spyro and Cynder due to admiration that they had for them, and for what they did. Spyro and Cynder didn't felt comfortable with someone doing everything for them, but they ended up accepting, and they at least offered a good payment to him in trade for all his hard work he did in there, fixing things and also fabricating things for them. Paw was a very dedicated worker.

It was very good to have him around, though sometimes he was very formal, even after all the years that had passed together, as if he was really like a servant. This made both Spyro and Cynder uncomfortable.

"Oh, hi Paw." Cynder said to him, and the tiger bowed his head slightly in respect, and she said, "Huhh, have you seen Spyro? I need to talk with him about a... particular matter." Cynder didn't felt very much comfortable talking with Paw about the fact of she and Spyro becoming parents. Though she knew that he was going to be among the first ones to find out, after all, he was so close to them and spent so much time working in their house (actually, Cynder already planned to hire him for making the reforms in the house and build the room for the kids), she wanted to tell Spyro before anyone else, now that she was completely sure about it.

Paw looked up at her, and he said, "In fact, I have seen Mister Spyro a while ago. He went to his room earlier. I was just arriving to work when he passed in direction to his room, he seemed to be very sad."

This got Cynder worried, "He was sad?" She asked, the worry clear in her voice, and Sparx said "Oh, yeah. Well, I'm not sure about it, but I think that I may have said to him the wrong thing after you left us alone."

Cynder shot him a glare, however, she was more worried with Spyro's emotional state to worry into giving a lesson to the dragonfly that would teach him to keep his little motor-mouth shut.

"He is still in there?"

"Actually, no." Said Paw, "He got out of the room about half an hour ago, and he seemed to be very nervous about something. At least that was what it seemed. He left flying by the balcony and he hadn't returned until now. I even tried to ask him, but he only said that it was something that he had to do."

Cynder now looked really worried. "He didn't said where he was going to?"

"No, actually, he barely talked to me." Paw said, "Whatever he planned to do, he seemed to be in a real hurry."

"He barely even waited for me to get the food!" Said another voice, and the eyes turned to another tiger. This one was a female. She was of a toasted orange with black stripes, with amber colored eyes, and she was wearing a red colored dress with an apron over her body. Her name was Claw... Okay, it was another nickname, this one also without much imagination, but she liked being called like that, even because of her own request to other people, and that was how she introduced herself, she even claimed that it was really her name, though some people don't actually believed that.

She was also another one who worked for Spyro and Cynder. She, much like Paw, admired them very much, enough to have to work at them almost at full time. She only accepted the payment because, otherwise, Spyro and Cynder would feel very uncomfortable with it. She worked cooking for them, for she was a very skilled chef, and her cooking was famous among Warfang, in fact, some people actually asked for invitations to go to Spyro and Cynder's house for a dinner only to have the chance of tasting Claw's delicious cooking.

"When he said he had to go somewhere to do something I tried to offer him some of my food for the trip, but he was so hurried that he barely even heard me. When I blinked he was already setting flight from the balcony." She said, "I'm kinda worried about him."

And she was not the only one, by all that Cynder had heard, it seemed that Spyro had suddenly woke up and decided to do something all of sudden, as if he had suddenly remembered something very important that he had to do. After talking to Paw and Claw a little more, she knew that Spyro stayed inside his own room for less than half an hour before he woke up and he had to go.

Curious, and in search for a clue of where Spyro could have gone and why, Cynder entered into the room, and she looked around. The bed was messed, as Spyro had left the mantresses somewhat screwed in his rush to get out. It was clear that Spyro had been in the bed, probably sleeping, before he got out of there.

Looking around the room, searching for something that could give her a hint of what he was searching and why, she heard Sparx say. "Hey, what is that?"

Cynder's eyes turned to him, as well as Paw and Claw's who had both entered the room to help Cynder to search, even if both of them didn't felt comfortable spying on Spyro as he was out (because that was the sensation that they had as they helped Cynder to look). They all approached, and they saw what Sparx had saw: a scroll, left in the ground and forgotten in there.

"Spyro received mail?" Cynder asked, and both tigers shrugged, signaling that neither of them had any idea of what was that. Curious, Cynder picked up the scroll left in the ground, and she unfolded it, and she started to read aloud at what it said.

 _Spyro._

 _I know that you live happily with your mate, and I'm sorry to have to deliver you this message, but it has already passed too much time, and the time has finally come._

 _Your true parents are alive._

 _They are being held prisoner into the place known as the Death Valley, at the borders of the Dragon Realms. They have been in there for a long time, and finally it has come the time when there is a chance of them being freed._

 _However, you must hurry, for the time runs short and this chance might slip away forever._

 _Be careful with your path, for you will find challenges and trials along the way, for the one who imprisoned your parents wanted to make sure that they would never be freed again._

 _They are waiting for you, and they both love you._

 _You must leave now, for time stops for no one. Now go._

Cynder stopped reading, looking perplexed, and she looked at the other three creatures in the room, all with very much the same look as her in their faces. And they all had very much the same thought as her in their minds.

What the heck is this?


	3. Creature of Earth

Spyro was flying. He didn't care for the people looking at him from down and waving at him. He was too busy now.

He was just flying, as fast as he could, and he kept flying as he had passed the great walls that still shielded Warfang up to that day. His mind still replayed every single word that he had read in that letter, and he still wondered if it was all real.

However, as he replayed to his dream, and to all he had seem, heard and felt in there, the letter somehow made sense. Still, it was very strange that he received that letter right in the moment he woke up from that strange dream.

And there was the mysterious figure, which most likely gave him the letter. The way that it had sneaked in without waking him, and the way that it had vanished in the moment Spyro blinked, almost as if it was some kind of ghost. There was something about it that gave Spyro chills, even though he had no negative feelings or intuitions about the figure itself. And these eyes, Spyro still remembered the way that they dug deep in his core as if to look inside his soul.

The whole situation was very strange, still Spyro somehow felt deep inside that the letter was not a fake. Sure, he knew that it could very well be a scheme armed by someone, for whatever reason it was, and that it could be dangerous. Still, Spyro was moved by the thought of finding his true family.

The idea that his true parents were out there, that they were somewhere, alive and well, it somehow touched deep inside of him with a feeling of hope that Spyro only felt a few times in his life. It could be the chance he always wanted to finally know them, to find them, and to be with them like he was supposed to all the time, before the attack at the Temple in the Year of the Dragon.

Still, Spyro felt scared and somehow a kind of despair gripping at him, as the letter also said that they were prisoners.

They were imprisoned at somewhere? Why? How? By who?

It was Malefor's doing? The evil dragon had managed to find and capture Spyro's parents and keep them locked away as his last act of evil against the purple dragon? How long have they been prisoners? How were they after all that time that they were locked away? They were fine? They were sick? They were being fed and kept safe by someone?

And why they were not freed after the evil purple dragon's defeat? Someone else was keeping them locked? They were doing this under some order of the Dark Master, or they had their own reasons to this? What was the meaning of all of that?

All these thoughts flew around Spyro's head as he kept flying, almost automatically, almost as if he was driven by some kind of instinct, as if he didn't even knew where to go. But the truth was that he knew. And he knew fairly well.

He had already heard of the Death Valley from travelers and from some people he knew in his life, and from the travels that he and Cynder had themselves made in the following months after the defeat of Malefor, in order to help restore the world and the peace in all the devastation that the Dark Master had created.

He had a fairly good idea of where Death Valley was, even though he and Cynder had never get in there.

They had received a lot of suggestions not to be in there. They never understood exactly why, but they had been told that the name "Death Valley" was not only for show. The place was known for being maybe the most dangerous of all the Dragon Realms, and many people would avoid that place in any way possible.

They said that the place was almost a graveyard, and that the remains of lots of dragons, deceased in the war, were left in there, and that their very souls still haunted the place and they wanted to bring anyone who dared to venture in there to make them company. Some said that the place was even cursed, and that anyone who entered in there would stay in that place for their own free will, and would never want to leave, and would not want to eat or drink anything. Some said that they simply lay down and waited for death to come claim them, and turn their bones into another part of the ambient.

Anyway, everybody seemed to agree that people who took the way to the Death Valley were never seem again, and some said that it was like that since the time that Spyro had hatched from his egg, and that it had gotten worse after the coming of the Dark Master, and was the only thing that had not changed after his demise. The place still inspired fear in the hearts of wanderers and travelers, who ended up praying to their own gods to never had the fate of ending in that damned place.

Spyro knew that anyone else would have already given up any quest that involved going to that place. However, Spyro was not like everyone else. He was Spyro, the legendary purple dragon, whose power surpassed even the one of the Guardians. He was able to take care of himself in ways that other people would never be able to.

Besides, he had a very good motivation to go in there. The thought of meeting and finally knowing his true family gave him a boldness that he never knew that he had. The thought of rescuing them and making sure that they were both okay gave him power to move on and to face whatever was waiting for him in that mysterious and dreadful destination.

Spyro was already on his way and with his goal set on his mind, and nothing was going to stop him. Nothing!

* * *

"You don't think he really went there, do you?" Asked Sparx to Cynder, who was pacing back and forth, the black dragoness seemed not even to have listened to him, as she simply kept walking from one side to another.

"He would not go to that god-forsaken place." Said Paw, who was with his arms crossed over his chest. "He knows better than to simply go to a place like that." Even though he said that, his face had some short of worry, as if his own words were not convincing himself. As if he knew that they were not exactly true.

"That place is dangerous!" Claw said, looking very worried, "Anyone who has get in there has never returned!"

Cynder kept pacing. She was worried as hell for Spyro. She knew that the purple dragon was not going to ignore something like that. She knew that he was smart not to fall for easy tricks. Still, she could not shake away the feeling that Spyro had gone straight to the place that the destiny that the letter suggested. That he was going to a place that was famous for being the final line for anyone who dared to venture past its borders.

Sure, Spyro was able to care for himself better than maybe any other person in the world. Still, the legends and stories of the Death Valley were ones that would make anyone cower in fear and don't dare to come closer to that horrible place.

The letter itself was a big doubt.

What was the meaning of it? Was what written in there really possible? Was it some kind of prank? Who would do a prank like that, and to Spyro? Who would give the letter to him? Was it some kind of fun at the purple dragon's expenses? Was it some kind of scheme to him? Was it some kind of trap? Who would put up a trap for him using that trap?

He had received that letter right after he spoke to her about his troubles and doubts. Was it a coincidence? Or it was someone who somehow knew about it? And how would they even know about something so particular and deep about Spyro? Something that he had only told her that same morning? Away from the ears of anyone who could possibly be spying on them? These questions flew back and forth into Cynder's head as she paced over the living room.

"Cynder, what do we do now?" Sparx asked to the black dragoness, who was still pacing back and forth as she was trying to think, and Sparx seemed to have not been heard by her, such was her state of focus and worry. "Cynder?"

"Cynder!"

The black dragoness finally stopped, as if Sparx shout had triggered something in her mind. Spyro had most likely gone on his way to Death Valley. It was what everything was pointing out. She knew that he was going to go on his own, and she knew that it was likely the kind of thing that Spyro usually did. He would not put other people in danger out of nothing. He wanted to go alone to not make anyone else be in danger in case the letter was wrong or if it was really a fluke or a scheme.

Still, Spyro was putting himself in a great danger going to a place like that, even if the letter was true (what Cynder really didn't knew what to think about), and going in there was a great risk, even for him. Cynder was afraid that he could maybe never return, and so, she knew perfectly well what was needed.

"We have to bring him back." She said, turning to the other three creatures in the room with her, who all looked back at her as she spoke. "We have to go after Spyro and find him before he ends up getting hurt."

"Now that sounds like a plan." Sparx said, liking the way that the black dragoness was thinking. Spyro had always been stubborn, and he knew that the purple dragon was most likely going to come back home only if he was being dragged. Still, he bet that they could make it without problems, especially if the purple dragon heard that he had made his dear mate utterly furious by leaving like that.

"Yeah, it seems like the logic thing to do." said Paw as he stood there "I'll go talk to a few friends of mine and they will talk to the Guard. They will organize a searching party and will go after sir Spyro. They have some of the best scouts in the lands and they will surely be able to find a track of him no matter how far he goes."

"Do this." Cynder said, "I'll go ahead."

The eyes turned to her, and Sparx said, "Wait, what!?"

"You heard me." Cynder said, standing and starting to walk in direction to the balcony. "I'm going to find Spyro."

It was perfectly clear what she wanted to do. She was going to go after Spyro by herself and bring him back home. This was Cynder, as stubborn as Spyro, and equally ready to do the best for the people who she loved. She was as strong as Spyro and she had as much experience and ability to take care of herself, besides being known for being really scary if you made her really angry.

Under normal circumstances, Sparx would have totally agreed with it. After all, if Cynder went there, and reached Spyro, she could surely scold him hard and long before dragging him back to Warfang by the tail. She looked like the kind who could easily do something like that. However, there was something very different this time. Something that _really_ did made him reconsider all of that and wonder if it was a wise choice...

"Wow, wow, wow!" Sparx said, flying in front of her and standing on her way. "Wait on, girl. Are you sure you should do this? Aren't you forgetting about _something_?"

"Sparx, out of the way." Cynder said. She knew pretty well that she could simply pass by him, and the dragonfly could do absolutely nothing to stop her. Still, she knew that Sparx had a point, not like this was going to stop her, anyway. Paw and Claw, on their side, were looking at the young dragonfly, wondering what he was talking about.

"Cynder, you can't simply go to the place where Spyro is going! Not the way you are now! They don't call it Death Valley only for laughs!" Sparx said, gesturing in great amount as if to give an extra emphasis to what he was saying. Cynder only looked at him while Paw and Claw shared a look.

"The state she is now?" Asked Claw, walking closer. "What state? What are you talking about?"

She was ignored, though, as Cynder continued. "Sparx, I can take care of myself. I'll be okay."

"Yeah, but what about them!?" Sparx said. "You will be carrying them all the way there and I don't think it is a good idea!"

"Wha- carrying who?" Asked Claw, and Paw too was getting interested in it.

"I have been through a lot of things, and I can wing it over." Cynder said, walking closer and almost as if she was going to literally get over Sparx to get where she wanted to go.

"Cynder, you can't make a thousand-mile long journey to a place with 'death' in the name! You are pregnant!" Sparx cried out.

Two gasps followed this, coming from Claw and Paw. Cynder looked over her shoulder to the two anthropomorphic cats, whom looked at her. Paw with his arms to his side and Claw with a hand covering her mouth.

"Y-You are..?" Paw said, and after a while, Cynder simply sighed, and gave a single nod.

"Oh my goddess." Said Claw, "Cynder... this is so..." She barely even had words to describe, so she said nothing more. Of course, the news of Spyro and Cynder having kids were a big thing.

"Does Spyro know about it?" Paw asked, and Cynder looked at him. She knew that Paw knew Spyro as well as she and Sparx did. She sighed, and shook her head slowly, giving him an answer that he already knew. Spyro would have never departed just like that if he knew that there was a kid on the way.

"But then... Sparx is right!" Said Claw, speaking something that she rarely thought that she was going to say in her life. "You can't go like this! It will be dangerous for you and the egg!"

"Eggs." Sparx corrected her, "Five of them, to be more precise."

They didn't even had time to process what Sparx had just said, as Cynder cut them out. "We are wasting time! I'm going!"

"No, you are not!" Sparx said, standing in her way, and Cynder glared at him with a look that made him remember when she was still the "psycho evil she-dragon" of so many years ago.

"Sparx, you can move aside and let me move or I'll move over you." The way she talked made the dragonfly recoil and whimper slightly. Cynder thought it was it, when then, Paw moved on her way.

"Oh, not you too!" Cynder said, and Paw simply stood there, not moving. "You can't stop me from going, and you know it." Cynder said, and Paw looked at her for a few moments, and he sighed, as if in defeat.

"Yes, you are right, I can't." He said, and he looked Cynder in the eyes. "But I can go with you."

"Huh?"

"You cannot go to something like that all alone." Paw said very firmly, looking at her in the eyes as he spoke that. "So, if I cannot stop you from going, then at least I'll prevent you from being in a greater danger by going with you during the trip."

Cynder looked in his eyes as he spoke that, and she knew that he really meant it, and she was not going to make him give up on it. After a while, she sighed in defeat, and said, "Yeah, it will be good to have a pair of strong arms to help."

Paw nodded at her, and without turning his gaze, he spoke. "Claw." The tigress stood in attention as he spoke that. "Go to the middle district and search for Vulcan. Tell him the situation and tell him to talk with our friends in the Guard, and for them to organize a searching party. We might take a while to come back."

Claw looked at him in silence for a few moments, slightly stunned, and then Paw said. "Understood?"

Claw took a few moments, but she recovered, and said, "Y-yes! Right away!" And she didn't even wait for more instructions as she walked out, running past the door, leaving the three other creatures in the room alone.

After a while, Paw said, "Well, I understood that we were losing a lot of time, right?"

Cynder looked at him, and she sighed. She then looked at him, and she said, "Thank you." Paw simply nodded, and soon, they both were walking in direction to the balcony. As if on cue, Paw climbed in her and mounted on her back, and soon, she was flapping her wings, and soon, they both were flying.

Sparx was left behind, watching as the dragoness and tiger started to move away, in search for his missing brother.

Yeah. There they went. His brother's wife. Who was pregnant. With his nephews/nieces, and who was in a search for a place called "Death Valley". And who could face in their way dangers that would crush her body and maybe the poor little eggs with them. And they could very well do the same things with Spyro if they were lucky enough...

"Wait!" Sparx cried out, as he dashed in a mad fly for the dragoness and the tiger.

"I'll go with you! Don't forget about me!"

* * *

It had passed hours.

Hours in which Spyro had been flying after the place that was known as the Death Valley. Hours after he had left the safety of Warfang in the hopes of finding his lost family, wherever they could be.

Spyro had long passed by the territory of the city, and he was still flying to far away, the terrains below passing by him fast as he was flying rather fast. This rhythm, after a while would start to take its tool in many dragons and start to make them tired. Spyro, however, was a lot strong, and he trained regularly, in a way that he had much more stamina than a normal dragon, and so, he was able to keep up the pace of flying for a very long time, and keep going when many would be on the ground, gasping deeply for breath.

Still, Spyro was still just a dragon, even though he was strong, and he knew that sooner or later he would be forced to stop from tiredness, and he would have to take a while to recover and to catch up his breath again so he could continued.

However, it was still a far away moment, and Spyro knew that he could use this time to keep flying. He was still having a lot of ground ahead and below him, and he intended to use all the strength he could to cover the most possible of it before he needed to stop to rest. Another good thing on being himself was that he was far more developed into wing strength than other dragons, in a way that he could not only fly more but also fly a lot faster, and cover a greater distance than other dragons would be able to by traveling the same time that him.

Spyro sighed as he kept flying, looking down at the ground below him, seeing it pass by him very fast as he traveled forwards. There was not a living soul in it, as Spyro passed by the lusty fields of grass and by the woods below, which passed by him as if they were blurs as the purple dragon was keeping a very steady pace and a very good speed of traveling.

It made sense that Spyro had to keep a good pace, after all, according to the letter he had received, the time in which he would have the chance to save his family was passing, and if the letter was truly right, then Spyro would have to quicken up, or the chance would pass and he would never see his true family.

It was still something that bothered Spyro.

How could he have never received the letter before? Why he was only receiving it now?

And what was meant when it was said in the letter that the time for them to be freed had arrived and it was going to pass again? Was it some short of charade? Was it some kind of plan? Or it happened something in the place they were being held captive? There was something happening in there? Maybe a shift of guards or maybe a problem in the prison itself?

Spyro didn't knew what to think.

There was also the question about why Spyro had never heard about them being held captive before. Sure both him and Cynder had already heard about dragons and other creatures that were taken hostages and prisoners during the war, however, all of them had been freed from their prisons once the Dark Master had been defeated, and they all returned home safely after that.

Well, it seemed that it was not entirely truth.

So, his parents were stuck into a place that other people didn't knew about? There were other captives in there? Or it was a particular place where only they both were kept captive? And if they were, then why they were on a place just for them? They were special prisoners? They had something in them that made them be special in relation to other people?

And there was also the doubt of exactly when they had been captured by the forces of Malefor. For it seemed that they had both been captured just before Spyro was even born, if what the letter said was true. They were the first ones to ever be captured by the evil forces, then? And why they had been captured out of all people?

It all plagued Spyro's mind, however, not more than the idea of what they must have passed in all these years of captivity.

Spyro had already heard many stories about the rescued captives about what they had passed in the clutches of the forces of Malefor. They told them about the abuse, about the torture, about all the horrible things that they had been done by the monsters that watched them. They said that the food was terrible and the water made them sick, and the conditions of the places they were kept were so horrible that some of them had actually tried to commit suicide to get away from these places.

Spyro shuttered at the idea of his family passing by the same things that these poor souls had to pass. The idea of them being tortured and suffering in the hands of the evil creatures that could have been left there to watch over them was enough to make the purple dragon feel a great feeling of dread deep in his heart.

Spyro had seen some of the rescued prisoners, and many of them looked terrible in shape after a few years of imprisonment. Not only they looked as if they had been starved and tortured, but Spyro later discovered that they were also mentally scarred. The horrors they had passed in the prison had left horrible traumas in their minds in a way that many of them had a lot of troubles to readapt to society once they were freed, and some of them just couldn't live in society anymore, such were the scars left in their minds.

The idea of his parents having in such a state when he found them was something terrible. Maybe it was rather even likely, once many people who were rescued showed these kinds of traumas.

And they had only passed by this for three years. His parents probably had been imprisoned for more than twenty! What could it have done with their minds? What if they had lost completely their sanity?

This kind of thinking made Spyro feel like his stomach would not hold the little that he had eat in breakfast and would be forced to give it all back to the outside. The purple dragon felt sick thinking on all these horrible things.

He didn't wanted to think the worse, he wanted to believe that he was finally going to have the family that he always felt missing in his life, since a long time now. However, he could not avoid that black shadow of despair floating over him as he thought of all the horrible things that already happened, and all the things that he had saw during and after that war. He had seen just how much it could destroy people, and in more ways than one, and the idea of it having destroyed his parents, even if it had left them alive, was something that prevented the purple dragon from thinking clearly.

Still, Spyro continued, focusing only in two things, the road ahead of him, and all the worried that plagued his mind and forced him to move ahead.

Indeed, Spyro was so absorbed into these two single items that he forgot about the entire world that was around him, so much that the only reason why he survived was because of the horned instinct that he had developed and kept over the years.

Spyro's eyes widened as he felt something flying in his direction. He felt more than he saw or heard it. It was the sudden feeling that he had gotten many times in the past, during his adventures. The feeling in his guts that there was something coming. Something that, despite being outside of his line of sight, was something that he could feel that was there, and he was able to react to it. Almost as if, as ridiculous as it could sound to anyone who Spyro would tell it, someone else was seeing it coming to the purple dragon and was, somehow, controlling his actions to make him dodge and prevent the threat.

And dodge it Spyro did, by bending his body and making a sudden spin/twist in the air as he was almost hit by a big boulder, almost twice as big as his own body. It kept flying past the purple dragon, who, after recovering from the surprise, was able to look down, searching for the place were said rock could have come from.

Spyro darted his eyes suddenly at the ground below him, trying to search for what could have threw that rock at him, and he only saw the earth beneath. However, only half a minute later, he had that same sharp sense in him again, and he had to quickly dive in order to avoid another boulder, this one slightly bigger than the last one. That one would probably have broken some of his bones if it had hit him.

Looking down, Spyro had time to see a lot of boulders coming in his direction. The purple dragon barely had time to think, as he let his instincts take over and guide him, almost as if there was someone else controlling his very actions, as he avoided many of the rocks threw at him from an unknown force in the ground. Some three times bigger than him and others around the size of his head.

One of these smaller ones had hit him, landing heavily in his chest, making the purple dragon gasp and stumble in the air as he was forced to lose altitude. Spyro groaned as he clutched his chest, trying to regain his breath at the same time that he checked if none of his ribs had broken with the force of the impact. He barely had time to react when another one, around th same size as his whole torso, passed dangerously close to his head, one of the edged making a slightly cut in his cheek, from which leaked his crimson blood.

Spyro grunted, as it was clear that somehow, even being on the ground, who was doing it had somehow an advantage against him, who was up. So, Spyro slowly started to descend to the ground, breathing a little heavily as he was costing to recover from the hit in his chest. As he came down, he still had to dodge many rocks that were threw on his way, and as he was going down, he could see a little point from which the rocks seemed to be coming. It was a glowing shape, still hard to recognize as Spyro was still flying in circles to both dodge the rocks and reach for the ground. Still, the purple dragon could not shake the feeling that the green, glowing form somehow looked rather familiar to him.

Spyro could, after a while of flying, finally land in the ground, and he clutched his chest as the point where the rock had hit was slightly blackened from the sheer power of the impact. The rock was thrown with a force that, if it would have hit any dragon less remarkable than Spyro, it would have most likely broken their ribs, knocked him out of the sky and made him drop to the ground into deep unconsciousness. Spyro was, however and luckily, much more resilient than a normal dragon, not only to what came into long effort, but also to what it came to being resilient to damage.

Spyro could finally take a breath as he looked at the shape, which had stopped throwing rocks, and was now walking in his direction. As it came closer, its features became more and more clear, and more and more familiar. The figure was in front of him, and Spyro saw that it was...

...Himself

Spyro's eyes widened s he looked at the creature which was in front of him. It was clearly a dragon, and that was for sure. However, what was more shocking about this particular dragon was that it was at the spitting image of Spyro!

Okay, maybe not identical, but it was really resembling to him! From the horns to the strong jaws with the little horns on the chin and to the point of the spear-shaped tailblade. The striking difference was the color of said dragon, which was all of pure green light. The eyes were pools of light that resembled emeralds, and the whole body was in different shades of green, making it seem that the dragon was literally made out of slightly glowing emerald, jade and other green minerals.

Spyro stood there for a moment, looking at the strange dragon, which could very well be a clone of him. And then, the figure opened its mouth, and a sphere of pure green energy materialized from it.

Spyro barely had time to dodge as the ball of green energy almost hit him. It was connected to the mouth of the dragon of green by a line of green energy, almost like a wrecking ball. That was exactly like what Spyro could do with his earth breath!

Suddenly, Spyro felt himself being invaded by memories of the time that he had traveled to meet with the Chronicler. He remembered of that big elemental dragon, which could change its body to have any element that the color could represent. It seemed that this copy of him was an alternate version of it!

What was that? What it was doing there? And why was it attacking him? And why it had the same exact look as Spyro with only an alternate color?

Spyro barely had time to think about it as he had to dodge again as the green dragon swung the earth ball and almost hit Spyro in the face. One impact of that would most likely daze Spyro for long enough to give the attacking dragon an edge of advantage.

Spyro had to roll over not to be hit by the attacking dragon, and it kept swinging the wrecking ball that was attached to its mouth, trying to hit Spyro and hitting everything that was on the way, from trees to boulders, and breaking them apart. It also made by craters and cracks in the ground when it swung the ball down and Spyro dodged by jumping and rolling out of the way.

The force that this dragon had was great! One blown from that wrecking ball would be enough to break the bones of any dragon as if they were sticks! Spyro had to be extra careful not to be hit.

Just as he thought of that, the wrecking ball retreated back to the mouth of the green dragon, and it opened its mouth once again to let out a torrent of green energy in the form of pebbles at the purple dragon. Another move that Spyro was familiar with, being a torrent of Gatling-gun like shots of earth.

Spyro had to run to avoid being hit, for he knew that they could do a great damage if they managed to land on him. Spyro was able to find cover behind some trees, which were quickly destroyed by the shots.

However, Spyro had enough time to recover and to think clearly enough so he knew that he could deal with that thing the same way that he dealt with the elemental dragon in the temple of the Chronicler: By hitting it with the same energy that composed it.

Spyro quickly jumped out of the hiding spot right in the moment that it was completely destroyed, and he managed to aim his next attack into the head of the creature that was attacking him. Focusing, Spyro called out the earth energy inside of him, and he materialized a green ball of pure earth power, and he aimed it into the dragon's head.

With a mighty roar, he shot it out, and it traveled by the air, leaving behind sparks of green energy on its awake. The green dragon barely had time to look at him as the ball of earth collided right with its nose.

The explosion that followed raised a lot of dust, and Spyro had to shield his eyes from the sheer strength of the impact. After a few moments, Spyro finally lowered his wings, and allowed himself to look, only to see the cloud of dust still settling down.

Spyro sighed, as he knew that a blown like that would have most likely obliterated the attacking creature. Spyro felt glad that he never did stopped training, even after the war was over. He was able not only to keep all the skill that he had acquired during the years that he trained with the Guardians, but also become even stronger.

Spyro thought that it was over, and that he finally could keep moving, until the dust started to really settle down, and he saw that the green dragon was still standing.

Its head was gone, making it seems like a broken statue, yet, it was still there, standing as if nothing had happened.

Spyro was wide-eyed, and they widened even more when he saw the creature starting to regenerate, making its head grow back in a matter of no more than 15 seconds.

Spyro was stunned, but he recovered right in time to dodge a ball of earth energy, as big as the one that he had himself breathed over the enemy.

What was that? That thing could regenerate!? None of the enemies that Spyro ever faced before could do something like that! Not from such a big and devastating damage as having the head blown up!

Spyro was once more forced to run and to dodge in order to avoid being hit by the attacks of the dragon, at the same time that he breathed his own attacks over the creature. However, every shot of earth that he landed at the green dragon had the same effect of the first. It exploded and created damage, sometimes taking away a part of the green dragon, only for, a few seconds later, the damage start to regenerate.

Attacking it with earth power was not working like it had with the elemental dragon, and so Spyro tried other elements, like fire and electricity. None of them worked, they had very much the same effect. Spyro even tried to freeze the thing solid with his ice breath, but the creature would only remain freeze by a short amount of time, before it broke through the ice with sheer brute strength and resumed in attacking Spyro.

It seemed that nothing that Spyro tried to do against that creature worked. It would simply start to grow back and attack him again, seemingly with more force than he had initially hit it. It seemed that the thing he was attacking was somehow indestructible, and it seemed to only want to destroy him even more at each time that Spyro attacked it.

It could only use the earth element, and Spyro was glad for it, still, it could make a lot of damage, and it had, by now, managed to score some hits into Spyro. The purple dragon was limping slightly in one of his legs that had been hit by the wrecking ball, and he had a few bruises and cuts on the side of his body, where the shots of earth had hit. Spyro groaned as he forced himself to run around to avoid receive even more damage form that creature.

He couldn't even fly away, for every time he tried, the creature would summon great stones from the ground and hurl them at Spyro, almost hitting the purple dragon square on the chest. It seemed that Spyro was not going to be even let to run away from this.

And Spyro did still not understood just what exactly this creature which was attacking him was. Nor did he understood where it came from or why it was attacking him. Spyro had just dodged a strong hit from the wrecking ball, which Spyro could swear that had doubled in size since the start of the fight, which created a huge boom and raised a big cloud of dust.

Spyro coughed and he breathed heavily out of nervousness. He cringed at the feeling of his fresh wounds on his body. That thing was hard. That creature he was facing was stronger than anything he had ever faced before. Spyro was starting to have doubts if he could actually win. If that lasted for a long time that thing could be able to land severe scores in him and to actually gain the upper hand... paw.

Spyro looked back, seeing the big crater that was opened by the attack of the enemy, and he breathed heavily. The cloud of dust gave him covering, but he knew that the enemy was still there, ready to strike as soon as it saw Spyro again. The purple dragon knew that he was in a hard situation. He just knew it, and he had to think fast or maybe he could not find his way out of that. He needed a plan, and he needed it quick.

"Elements will not work."

That sudden voice almost made Spyro cry out, as he turned his face, to look into a bipedal creature that was right in front of him.

"You!" Spyro said, as he could recognize the hooded creature. It was the same one of his room, the same one that had, seemingly, left the letter on his paws and vanished without a trace. For a moment, Spyro wondered just what he (he could tell it was a male by the voice) was doing in here. He even wondered if it was all a big trap since the start. The creature simply looked at him, and said.

"Elemental attacks will not work against that enemy. It will simply regenerate and start to attack again." The blue eyes of the hooded being locked into Spyro's amethyst ones. "You will need other idea. You need to use your own strength."

"My... own strength?" Spyro asked. He wanted Spyro to run to that creature and to fight it only with his claws and teeth? When his breath weapons did not worked? How did that even made sense!?

"Only by proving that you are really strong, and not depending on the power of your elements, you will be able to defeat that creature." The hooded guy said, "It is the only way of defeating it, if you really want to have hope to see your family."

Spyro looked at the creature in front of him, and he was about to say something, when he noticed green glow behind him. He looked back to see the glowing silhouette of the green attacker walking in his direction, as the cloud of dust was settling and clearing the vision. Spyro snapped his head back at the hooded figure, only to discover that it had vanished from sight, without any clue that it had even been in there.

Spyro didn't had time to think about it, as his senses told him of another attack, and he jumped out of the way right in time to dodge a blast of earth that could have done some really serious damage if it had hit him.

Spyro breathed as he looked at this creature. He wondered just if the figure really meant it when he said that Spyro would have to fight him with his own strength. The idea of going to claws with that creature was somehow disturbing at the dragon, once he saw that his elemental attacks had little to no effect on it.

Spyro watched as it turned to his direction, and he remembered the words of the hood being. Spyro wanted to see his family. He wanted to know them. He wanted to be by their side and to be able to finally meet with them, laugh with them, cry with them, and to finally have a complete family like he hadn't had in a very long time.

Spyro really wanted to save them, and he was going to do what it took.

So, the purple dragon, in some kind of blind faith, and again, as if someone else was taking the decisions on his place, decided to follow the advice of the figure, and he decided to forget the elemental attacks, and he went to fight with his teeth and claws.

The first blow he landed on the creature once he ran to it, was on swipe of his paw, which hit the creature with enough force to make it stumble back. And it was right in the right time, for it redirected the stream of earth energy that it was preparing to launch at Spyro, and made it all collide against the ground, creating an awake of destruction and debris.

The thing seemed to have been disoriented, as if it did not expected for Spyro to go and attack it physically. It even tried to get away, but now Spyro was the one who was not going to allow it. He swiped his claws again, one time after the other, creating more cracks around the creature, on the face and chest and the rest of the area around.

With a powerful and mighty swipe of his tail Spyro was able to send the head of the attacking creature flying away, to land away from him, in the middle of more debris.

Spyro stood there, his claws slightly throbbing from having hit solid rock, as well as his tail. However, the creature was still there. The body was still in place, even after the head had flew away, and it was already starting to reconstruct. However, now that he was close, Spyro was able to see more clearly how this regeneration worked.

From far, it seemed that the stone was growing back, as if it was the body regenerating like the missing parts of the lizards, which grew back. But now that he had gotten close, Spyro saw that it was more than that. He saw that the small pieces of pebbles that had broken away from his hits were floating and moving back into place and were fixating in the rock, and they were merging to go back to their original place. It was less a regeneration than a reconstruction.

This revelation was only confirmed to Spyro when he looked over, and he saw the head that had been broken away dematerializing until it became no more than dust. Dust that was quickly flying back to the body and reforming the head back in place.

This had opened Spyro's eyes. For, if the creature he was facing was not regenerating, but reforming its own body, it meant that it was not invincible. It meant that there was something that made it reform! Something that could be the thing that created that stuff and that was causing the entire problem.

If Spyro destroyed this center, then the creature would be destroyed!

But... where he could find it?

That was when Spyro took an even better look at the creature close to him. He noticed that, even though the whole creature was glowing, the glow seemed to be focused into a specific part of its anatomy. Particularly: the chest. Also, by being close, Spyro could notice, for the first time, that this area seemed almost to pulsate. A pulse that spread the glow for the rest of the body, and it seemed to be what was starting the reforming process.

Spyro looked at the creature, which had the head almost reformed, and he swiped his claws over it more time, making the head break more, the whole jaw separating from the rest of the head as well as one horn.

It only confirmed his suspicions as the glow in the chest seemed to pulsate even more as the thing was reforming faster.

It was it! Spyro had found the center of the magic.

The heart of the creature, so to speak.

The thing had reformed quickly, and it didn't seemed to be happy for having been broken, for it swiped its claws of stone and crystal at Spyro, who had to quickly dodge in order to avoid being done to himself what he had done to the green creature. He was fast, but not enough to dodge a swipe that left claw marks in his face, as well as a swipe of tail that threw him several feet back.

Spyro groaned, feeling the burning sensation on his face from the cuts and the throbbing on his body from the strong hit. Spyro looked at the creature, which was charging another focused attack of earth to be aimed at the purple dragon.

Spyro groaned, as he forced himself to be back up again, and he ran in direction to the green creature. He had to quickly jump and flap his wings to avoid the blast of earth, which would have probably obliterated him. And he stayed airborne for just a second before he dove back and he grabbed the creature by the neck.

Spyro raised it from the ground, and he held by the neck with his mouth, his teeth digging into the crystal and making cracks in it. His jaw hurt for that thing being hard as rock, but Spyro was managing it. Using his paws, Spyro started to furiously claw at the creature, as he had done many times in the past with his enemies during the war, and he managed to break a good amount of the creature's chest, being able to open a way in which he would be able to reach the heart.

In a great feat of strength, Spyro even bite down hard into the neck, enough to make it snap and crack and to break it from the body. Spyro threw it away, and looked at what he had done. The body was broken and clawed, and there was a big crack in it, from which emanated a stronger green glow.

Spyro knew that this could be the best and only chance that he was going to get, so he went for it.

Using his claws, Spyro dug them into the crack, and started to use his hands to forcefully make it apart. He was tearing the body of the creature open to reach for the center. However, the creature would not only stand there and let it happen. It was grabbing his arms with its front-legs, and trying to take them away from the crack. And also, was using its hind-legs to kick madly at all directions, some of them actually hitting Spyro in the stomach, trying to use the pain to make him let go.

As if it was not enough, the reforming power had already started working, as the center was growing even stronger now, and was pulsing as the stones and pebbles that were the pieces of the creature were flying around, and forcing themselves in the crack, which was being forced together by the reformation powers.

However, Spyro was not the kind who gave up easily. He didn't came that far to let a piece of animated crystal get better at him. Groaning, Spyro put more strength on his arms, and he soon was being able to fight the force of the reformation, and he was starting to force the crack apart again, opening his way to the center and whatever was in there.

But the creature would not make it easy for him. It moved its hind-part and was now trying to force Spyro away from it, while the claws of the front-paws dug into Spyro's arms, making blood leak from them, and the pressure was so much that it would have already broken the bones of a regular dragon. Even the tail as being used to try to make Spyro let go, as it lashed at the purple dragon almost as if it was a stone whip, and was leaving deep marks on his body with each lash.

Spyro flinched and groaned at the pain of all the attacks being unleashed on his body, and struggled to keep his grip as these legs tried to force him away from them. But Spyro knew what these attempts to make him let go meant. They meant that what he was doing was working, and the creature was worried that he could actually win! This was what fueled out Spyro's will and made him double the strength that he had put into his arms to break the thing open.

It felt as if he was trying to lift a huge bolder with nothing more than his bare strength. And receiving all the pain and attacks at the same time did not helped him. However, the determination that Spyro had in his heart fueled his actions, and it was what gave him access to the full extent of his strength and allowed him to continue to crack open the stone, breaking it and making the crystal rip open to reveal what was inside.

The inner light pulsed stronger, and it was still trying to reform the body to close that open crack, but it was to no use against Spyro's will-fuelled strength. The purple dragon let out a resonant roar as he was finally able to open enough to have a clear vie of the inside. And he saw it.

Embedded in the crystal, was another crystal, this one stood apart for being almost perfectly spherical, more an orb than a crystal. This orb was even greener than the rest, and it had an inner light that seemed to be the source of that magic and the glow that flowed from the entire crystal dragon.

That was the source of the magic of the creature. If it wasn't, then Spyro was an overgrow iguana with wings!

Spyro knew what he had to do. Immediately, using his paws/hands to hold the crack open, Spyro dug his head into it, putting his whole head inside of the creature, and he used his mouth to grab the orb, and he started to pull.

He could feel the orb pulsing stronger inside his mouth, and he could feel as if the strength of the creature had doubled, into an attempt to stop Spyro. Also, he was feeling like the orb was stuck in place, as if it was refusing to be taken out of its safe haven. But Spyro was not going to let that thing stop him.

With a surge of all the strength he had, Spyro was able, with a forceful thug; to pull the orb out, making it crackle out of the body it created with green crystal. Body which twitched violently and trembled, before going limp, and finally been let go from Spyro's clutches and feel in direction to the ground below, hitting the ground with a thud as it decomposed into nothing more than crystal.

Breathing heavily form the effort he had just made, Spyro reached into his mouth and looked at the green orb, which was still pulsating. Spyro didn't took long to notice the dust around him which was the green creature's body trying to reform once again, but Spyro already had enough of that.

He clutched the orb hard in his paw, and his claws dug into the stone and crystal that made it, making the orb crack, until the orb completely shattered in his paw. In this same moment, the dust around him went still in the air, as if frozen, before falling back to the land, and being carried away with the wind. Completely devoid of the life that it had previously shown.

It was over.

Hovering slightly, Spyro finally had time to go back in land and take deep breaths. And as he did, he finally got to let all the things that happened catch up with him. He felt every cut, every bruise, every impact that he had felt, as well as all the tiredness he had felt for fighting hard like that, as well as the strain on his arms that he got from opening that thing apart as if he was trying to separate a mountain in half.

Spyro let out a loud gasp as he went to the ground, his trembling legs, all four of them, barely even able to hold his body up as he was taking deep, almost wheezing breaths to try to catch up. His whole body feeling sore and aching from all the effort he had made. For a moment, Spyro felt a great urge to simply drop to the ground and to simply fall asleep in there.

But he couldn't, he could not simply lay there and sleep, for several different reasons. The bigger of them was the motivation to go forward and to find his parents, to be sure that they were okay and that they would be finally free.

He felt so tired… If at least he had a…

In that same moment, a clinging sound was heard by the purple dragon, whom looked at his own paws, and saw three red colored crystals which seemed to have been deposited right at his feet.

Blinking at them, Spyro raised his head again, to look in front of him and, as if on cue, he saw the same creature he had seen already two times that day.

"You…" Spyro breathed deeply as he looked at the hooded creature, whom looked back at him with calmness with its blue eyes, and he said, in a calm voice. "You are hurt, take these, they will help you heal."

Well, duh. That was obvious, but Spyro didn't felt like just accepting a gift from this stranger who had only put him in danger to save him soon after, even if he was the one that gave to Spyro the chance of seeing his family again, and in the same day, had gave to Spyro the hint that allowed him to defeat this terrible enemy that could very well have killed him.

Still, Spyro had to ask "T-t-that thing…" The purple dragon wheezed as the hooded one only looked back at him, and he said, "It was a sentinel." He said in a serious voice "Put in here years ago to act as a protector to the way. The reason why no one that came to the Death Valley did ever returned."

Spyro was still breathing heavily, the pain on his legs was still killing him and he could drop to the ground at any moment, still, he could not help but think about it.

"Who..?" Spyro was about to ask, but the creature seemed to be ahead of him.

"Malefor." He said, with clear spite, as if the mere word left a very bad taste on his tongue. For Spyro, it made perfect sense. After all, Spyro had seen what kind of creatures the Dark Master could come with during the war, and what kind of forces he had on his power. Creating that thing out of element and magic was something that he would be able to do, and it actually seemed like something that the evil dragon would actually do.

"He created it to prevent the ones held prisoners in Death Valley could not escape, as well as keeping out anyone who would attempt to save them." The hooded one continued saying, "Even after his demise, it continued to fulfill its purpose, until it was totally destroyed."

Spyro sighed. That thing was gone now. Finally gone, and the rest of the trip would probably be easy. However, his hopes were cut short, when the hooded figure said, "As well as the other sentinels."

Spyro raised his head, looking at the creature. "The Dark Master wanted to make sure that this prison was safe, so he created many of them along the way. He wanted to be sure that no one would ever escape from Death Valley, so he used the best of his elemental and magic abilities to create sentinels to guard the way and destroy anyone who tried to invade, as well as putting back anyone who would try to break free."

Spyro groaned. "You mean that there are more of these things?" The tone of despair was rather clear in Spyro's voice, and the figure turned to him. "Yes." He said simply, "And some of them are actually worse than this one. But, as you just saw, each one of them can be destroyed by the right ways. And you showed that you are able to."

"This was only your first trial, Spyro." The figure said, pulling out one more red crystal and dropping it to the purple dragon, who looked at it. "And there are more ahead, and you will need your strength if you want to save your family. You must heal and continue your journey."

Spyro looked at the red crystals, which would make his body heal faster than it would possibly be able to under normal circumstances. He then raised his head again, to ask more things to the hooded figure, like who it was and where it came from, and once again, he saw nothing.

Spyro looked all around. They were on a open field, with most possible hiding spots having been destroyed by Spyro's fight with the creature, and yet, the hooded figure was nowhere to be seen. It was like it had completely disappeared from sight, simply evaporated without leaving behind any traits that he was in there.

Not a footprint in the ground, not a single trait of fur or energy, not a single trace of smell that any creature would have left behind, not even the presence that would indicate that it had been in there, and which Spyro had learned to feel.

It was like he had completely vanished, just like a ghost, leaving no traits he was ever there, as if he had _never_ been there to start with.

Looking around, Spyro sighed in defeat, as he looked back at the life crystals that had been left at his feet, and he started to break them. And as the shards of the crystals flew to his body, making his wounds all close faster, Spyro could not avoid the thoughts about this mysterious creature, and just who could him be and what would be his motivations…


	4. Moonlight Reflections and The Oasis Trap

"You think Spyro is okay?" Sparx asked as he was flying near Cynder, who was carrying Claw in her back. Both her and the tiger were looking forward, both with attentive eyes, ready to get any glimpse of Spyro or of nay potential danger that could come in their way. Sparx, on his side, was more… well, he was being Sparx.

Hw had passed most of their few hours of trip talking and he didn't seemed like he would be ready to stop at any point so. He was actually starting to seem Volteer. "I know that he is the 'legendary purple dragon' and so, but he never went to the Death Valley. I mean, the place is called 'Death Valley' for a reason, right? It is not exactly the place for a dream vacation."

Sparx was deadly worried about Spyro, and that was the truth, and that was why he was paying it so much attention, and it was starting to annoy the two creatures. Luckily, they both had learned a lot of self control during the years, otherwise, they would have, most likely already set up a plan to get rid of the small dragonfly and make everyone believe that it had been an accident.

"Sparx, I'm sure that Spyro is okay." Cynder finally said, and she just wanted Sparx to stop talking, "But, I think that talking so much isn't going to do him good, and neither will it for _you_. Got it?"

Cynder could not be more subtle neither more clear. Sparx finally stopped talking, and he simply stood silently as he flew by Cynder's side. However, Cynder herself was very worried about Spyro. They had heard a lot of stories of the Death Valley, and they all knew that this was the kind of danger that Spyro had already faced before and barely made it out alive. And this time, Spyro was out there to face it completely alone, and that made Cynder worry too much about what could happen to him if he truly got into the way of a great danger and he didn't had anyone in there to help.

Cynder's worry was showing, and Claw noticed it. He reached out, and he gently stroked her neck. Cynder gave a single glance over her shoulder, and she saw the look in Claw's face. That look was what she needed to be assured, as if Claw was saying without a single word that Spyro was a strong dragon, and that he was able to take care of himself, and that she should not worry, for, like she said herself, Spyro was most likely okay. He had already went through hard thigns together, and he had merged victorious in the end. He was going to be okay ponce they found him.

Cynder was actually able to smile at him, and she continued to look forward, and she could only think of Spyro. She took a paw to over her belly and gently rubbing it, almost as if she could feel the eggs inside of her, and as if she was telling them that their father was going to be okay.

 _Ancestors._ Cynder thought in her mind, in a silent pray. _Please, let Spyro be okay. Let him be strong and able to face the fears so he can return home safely. Let him live so he can see his children growing and be there for them. Please, don't let these kids grow without a father in their lives._

Cynder let her pray be carried to the Ancestors above, as she continued to fly, her eyes and ears attentive to anything that could come in the way, as she was still searching for her mate.

* * *

Spyro was still flying. The crystals that he had received from that mysterious creature had been enough for Spyro to recover his wealth and also some of his energy. So, the purple dragon could resume his flight in direction to the Death Valley, in his quest to find his family.

As he flew, Spyro could not take his mind out of that mysterious creature. The one who left him the note and the same that had helped him overcome the challenge that he had found on his way. He could not help but wonder many questions around that creature who mysteriously helped him.

After all, what was that creature? Who was he? What was his purpose in doing all of that? And how did he could vanish like that? He was following Spyro? He was following him now? Spyro could not sense any presence, but for all he knew, it was very well possible that the creature had some kind of talent that allowed him to cover his presence and follow Spyro without being seen.

Spyro was imagining now a lot of things around that strange creature, like what would be his motivations for doing Spyro go into this strange quest, and helping him while he was with trouble.

It there was the possibility that he wanted Spyro to be killed in this trip, since Spyro had already found some enemies after the war was gone. They were not servants of Malefor, but they were people who tried to threaten the peace, and Spyro and Cynder had many times fooled these plans, for they had became the protectors of the dragon realms. However, if he wanted Spyro to be killed, he would not have told him how to get cross the danger, and neither would have gave him the crystals that left him brand new.

Spyro also thought about what he was saying, about he wanting his family to be freed.

Could this stranger be a friend to his parents? Someone who knew and who helped them a while ago, and wanted them to be free once more? It seemed so, because he knew pretty well of the danger and was helping Spyro get through it.

However, as Spyro thought, more questions came into his mind, like, if he knew the dangers that laid ahead and how to get through them, why don't do it on his own?

Well, Spyro had already seen that the dangers which were ahead were not easy to pass, and so, the purple dragon could deduce that he didn't had the strength needed to get past on his own, and needed the help of someone who actually could. Despite the feeling that he was somehow being used, Spyro could understand it, and he had no problems with that.

However, it also raised the question about why it took so long for him to finally pass this message to Spyro. The purple dragon still did not understood about the thing of the "right time" and about the idea of it passing.

Also, Spyro was also wondering just how that creature could also know that it was the right time, and also know all that he seemed to know. That made no sense to Spyro at all. It all seemed almost to be some kind a of cruel game that someone had put up to play and to mess with him, making him run from one place to another like that in a mad search.

However, Spyro knew that he had no time to worry about these things, for he knew that he had the duty to save his family. He needed to do it. It was just a feeling that he had, you may can it instinct, intuition, whatever you like, but the point was that Spyro knew that he had to do it.

Spyro could only continue to fly, as the land passed beneath him, and the day was passing quickly as the hours passed for his highly active mind.

When Spyro realized, he saw that the day was almost setting.

The purple dragon decided that it would be better to search for a safe place to set his camp for the night, and so, he chose a place that was some clearing inside a ring of boulders, which would shield him from curious eyes during the night.

Spyro landed in there, and he spent the following hours looking at the night sky, as he remembered all that had happened in that day. The talks he had with Cynder, their walk into the city, their meeting with Sparx, and the time that Spyro had right after that, the mysterious letter after that very suspect dream, and then his travel, and then his fight with the mysterious "guard" that seemingly had been put in there by Malefor himself.

It had happened to many things in such little time that Spyro was hardly able to even believe it. It brought back to him a lot of memories of his young times, when he first realized that he was the purple dragon and the destined hero who would save the world. Spyro could only let out a sigh as he looked up, and he saw the moon and the stars which shone up into the sky.

Spyro let his mind wander back to his family, who was imprisoned, and seemed to have been in there for a very long time. Spyro wondered if they would even recognize him if they saw him. Spyro wondered if he too would recognize them if he saw them. The purple dragon was wondering how his true family looked, if they looked like him, and if Spyro was going to be able to see the similarity. Soon, Spyro was imagining what kind of dragons they would be. He had already known the dragons of fire, electricity, ice and earth during his time with the Guardians. But once the war was over, he also learned that there were many other kinds of dragons, each one with a different element.

There were dragons of poison, fear, wind, water, mist, sound, nature, light, shadow, and many others which were too much to be correctly numbered, and Spyro also heard that new varieties appeared each hundreds of years or so on. There were really many kinds of dragon s, just as much as there were elements, and Spyro wondered what kinds of dragons his own parents would be.

As he thought of them, Spyro found himself back into the memories of all the dragons he and Cynder had knew after their battle and return to Warfang…

Cynder.

Spyro found himself now thinking of Cynder, his enemy, and then his dear friend, and now his beloved mate.

He wondered what she was doing now. He wondered if she had already realized that he had traveled to far away and where he was going (she could probably have seen the letter by now and she was wondering if it was real or not), and also, he wondered what was going on through her mind now.

She would be worried, of course, for he knew that she cared for him deeply, just as much as he cared for her, and she was probably worried about his safety as he went in direction to the Death Valley.

Also, he knew that she would probably get angry at him for leaving like that, and he had a strong feeling that, as soon as he saw Cynder again, he would probably have to run to escape her rage. He already knew that, despite being a gentle dragoness, and being a heroine of the world, just as much as he was, Cynder could be darn scary when she got really mad.

However, Spyro was pretty sure that, once he explained that it was about his true family, and that he had to go to save them, Cynder would surely forgive him. Also, she would be very happy for seeing him again, safe and sound. That was one thing that Spyro was sure. Spyro was truly hoping that seeing him back safe and sound was going to be enough to make her relief take the place of the anger she was probably going to have for him for leaving like that and for making her worry.

As he thought of that, Spyro turned around and he slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

Claw had just added some more of wood to the fire that they had made, and he sighed as he stretched his body. Flying in the back of a dragon for a whole day was enough to leave some muscles of his body slightly sore, more due to the lack of action than for anything else. He sighed as he walked back, and sat down at a short distance from the fire.

Near him, was Cynder, who was still looking at the skies with that lost stare, as if she was waiting for an answer from them if Spyro was okay or not. In her back, was Sparx, who was snoring softly with his belly bloated from the meal that he just had.

They had stopped in there a while ago to rest. Cynder wanted to continue of course, and she was going to continue until they found Spyro. It took a lot of argument from Claw to make her stop and prevent her from making efforts to fly all night without rest. He finally had won using the argument that, if she overtired herself, it would eventually be bad for the eggs that she was bearing. This finally made Cynder agree to stop so they could prepare for the night, and take the travel back in the early morning.

They had chosen a spot that was near an old forest, and Claw was able to get some wood to make a fire, and also some food to nurture them during the night. It took a while before the food was ready, and Sparx, of course, dug into it gladly, loving the food, even though it was not the kind of food he was used to have. Cynder was hesitant to eat, for she was too worried with Spyro, but Claw once more used the eggs she was bearing as an argument, saying that, if she starved, it would be bad for the eggs. In the end, Cynder surrendered to her maternal instincts, just like all good mothers were supposed to, and she ate the food slowly until she had her fill.

The night now had just fallen, and the twin moons illuminated the night sky, while all the starts twinkled into the night, adding color and beauty to the sky, and making it seem like a big and endless sea of diamonds, all of them sparkling for everyone to see.

Claw sighed as he looked at the stars, and he looked back at Cynder, who was staring at the sky, and she seemed to be somewhere far away as her mind drifted. And Claw had a very good idea of where her mind was going:

Spyro.

Claw looked at her, and he said, "The same two moons are illuminating his way tonight." Cynder looked at him as he spoke that, and he was able to smile at her. "The moons watch over everything at night, and tonight, I know that both of them are looking at us, just like they are looking at Spyro."

Cynder looked at him for a few moments, and she knew that it was his way of telling her that everything was fine, and that it was going to stay fine. She should not worry that much and she should lknow that Spyro was fine.

Claw had that way of speaking that much through riddles and without really saying much. The tiger showed constantly that he had not only the muscles, but also the intelligence that was expected of someone who had lived a lot and had seen a lot on his life. The tiger was no fool, and he showed that to everyone who talked to him.

Claw looked back up, and he said, "I'll take watch over the night first." He said as he kept looking up, and he added, "Try to get some sleep, I'll wake you up when the night is in its middle, and we change the watches."

Cynder knew that this meant that she should rest.

They were no longer into the safe walls of Warfang, and the outsides were known for being inhabited by dangers, be it savage creatures or some criminals who could take their chance with unsuspecting travelers, like them. It was the kind of place in which you should relax, but not very much, especially if your goal was some place like the Death Valley. Going to places like that was practically to ask for something to happen to you, and everybody who traveled and who wanted to wander through the lands of the Dragon Realms should know that.

Cynder looked at the skies one more time, and she thought about what Claw had just said.

The moons were watching over Spyro. That thought somehow comforted her as she lowered her head and tried to get some sleep for herself. She wished that he was right over that, and that the moons really were watching over Spyro and making sure that he was okay. Also, she found herself wishing that the moons were able to talk, so they would them her themselves that Spyro was okay, and where he was, and how long would they take to finally reach him and see him again. Also, Cynder would be able to ask them to tell Spyro that she was going and that she was fine, and that she had a very important thing to tell him as soon as they met.

With these thoughts, Cynder let out a small pray for the Ancestors to keep Spyro safe and sound during his trip, and to them to meet again soon, before she closed her eyes and slowly drifted into a calm and silent slumber.

* * *

 _Spyro found himself in the middle of the dark. He was not sure of where exactly he was, or how he had end up in there, but he knew that he was into somewhere that he was not supposed to be. It was like a feeling in the back of his head that told him that he should not be in a pl,ace like that._

 _He looked around, and all he saw was darkness. The area around him was pitch black, as if some kind of dark fog was covering the area around him, safe for where he was standing._

 _"Hello?" Spyro called, but there was no answer. It seemed that there was no living soul near, and that it hadn't been for a very long time. Spyro was about to call again, when someone called him._

 _"Spyro…" The voice was female, and it seemed to be an adult, or maybe older, and Spyro looked around, and he saw a silhouette shining among the dark fog. It was female-like and it had a paw outstretched at him. "Spyro, you came…"_

 _Spyro looked at the figure, and he had a sudden feeling that he recognized it, both in voice and shape, despite nbever having seen it before._

 _"Mom?" He called, and he felt some kind of happiness into his chest, as he saw the figure still having an outstretched paw in his direction._

 _"Spyro, you came… you came for us." It said, with happiness on it's voice, and Spyro could not help but feel the same happiness as he looked at the figure with which he had dreamed for a very long time. His real mother, standing right there, and waiting for him, welcoming him._

 _"Mom!" Spyro cried out, as he started to run in her direction, wanting to be near her, to hug her, and to tell her how much he loved her. He was now going to her direction, and she got closer and closer, and nothing was going to stop him._

 _Or so he thought._

 _When he was about to reach her, something green and glowing jumped in his way, making him gasp and stop on his tracks._

 _The figure was identical to him, only that it was completely green and glowing._

 _"You!" Spyro said, snarling at the creature who he had destroyed, and who now was on his way once more. But Spyro had already went past it to reach his family, and it was not going ot stop him now._

 _However, as Spyro took a step in direction to the creature, other one appeared, this one bursting from the ground like a mole coming out of a hole. And soon after, another one came from above, as if landing after a flight, and they all looked at Spyro as they stood in his way, their faces as hard and emotionless as if they were statues._

 _"What!?" Spyro said, surprised, at the creatures that now stood on his way. It had already been hard to face one of them, now he had to deal with three? Man, it was going to be very hard, however, Spyro had already come to far to give up now. Spyro snarled, and he opened his mouth, aiming to shot a giant beam of convexity to blow all the three to pieces and simply go in direction to his mother._

 _However, as he opened his mouth, nothing came out, not even a puff of smoke. Spyro stood, his eyes widened as he seemed that he had lost his breath. He only looked in shock at the three guard, who started to laugh, as they pointed at him. They were mocking him for his inability to attack them._

 _Spyro was about to react at some way, when he heard his mother's voice._

 _"Spyro!"_

 _He looked over, and his eyes widened in horror as he saw her being grabbed and dragged away by more of the glowing copies of himself. They all were being rough at her and pulling her back into the darkness, to somewhere she would be out of Spyro's sight._

 _"Spyro! Save me!" She cried out as she was dragged by the green dragons, and Spyro immediately ran to her._

 _However, he was grabbed by the three dragons and threw back, and they all continued to laugh as they threw him back easily, as if they were showing him how impotent he was to help and safe his own mother from the danger._

 _"Spyro!" She cried out as she was being dragged away, and Spyro once more tried to reach her, only to be stopped again by the green dragons, who laughed at him as they threw him away. Spyro was getting up once more, and in time to catch a last glimpse of his mother as she, along as the green dragons, disappeared from sight into the darkness that surrounded him._

 _"Mom!" Spyro cried, and he gave a step forward, but the ground beneath gave in under his feet, and he saw his foot sinking into a fissure into the ground. "What!?" Spyro said, and he tired to pull his foot away, but the ground only gave in more, and cracks were appearing right beneath him, and the ground was breaking down beneath him._

 _Scared, Spyro tried to flap his wings, only to discover that they were not moving. Spyro turned his head to look and saw, with horror, that his wings were enveloped into green stone, and were rendered useless._

 _The green dragons continued to laugh, and Spyro looked at them, and he took another scare as he saw Malefor standing among them, and he was smirking down at him. " **Spyro, the legendary purple dragon.** " Malefor said, mocking him, " **He can't even save his own mother.** " He said, and he laughed, his own laughter adding to the one of the guards, and Spyro don't had time to reply or to say anything, as he finally felt all the ground cave in beneath him, and the next thing he knew was that he was falling._

 _Spyro cried out as he saw the dragons laughing at him as he fell into an abyss._

* * *

Spyro opened his eyes crying out, and he looked all around, to see that he was still into the same circle of rocks in which he had slept in the last night. It had all been a nightmare. A horrible nightmare.

Spyro breathed heavily as his heart was pounding fast, and he was waiting for it to go back to the normal rate. The images and sounds that he had experienced into that vivid dream were still fresh into his mind.

Sure, Spyro could not clearly remember the look or the sound of his mother's voice, but he knew that he had heard and seen it. Dreams had that way of making you know things, even if you don't remembered them quite correctly. Spyro was still remembering the way that his mother called for his help, but he was unable to reach her, for the guards of Malefor were not letting him go there. These darn golems!

Spyro still remembered correctly the look of that golem, and the way that was hard to defeat it. Spyro was worried with what the figure had told to him before disappearing: that there were more of them in the way. Spyro wondered if they were all like the first one he fought.

If they were, Spyro was going to have problems, because that one was very hard to defeat with normal means. But, on the other paw, it could actually be good, because Spyro already knew how to defeat them if they were all alike, and that made the mission somewhat easier. Still, that was not enough to make Spyro relax.

The purple dragon had to take deep breaths and to recover his mental calm and to make his heart beat slowly so he would be in conditions to think clearly and to go on with his mission. It took a while, and as it happened, Spyro could see that his body was covered in sweat. Not only that, but he also realized that there were tears in his face, mixed with the sweat.

The thought of seeing his mother being taken away, and being unable to reach and save her, it was something that had greatly disturbed Spyro. Anyone in his place would be disturbed by that, the idea of seeing a loved one, someone important, in danger, and being totally unable to do anything to help or to save this loved one, it was a thought that would make many people be at least slightly disturbed.

However, Spyro didn't had time to actually think about it. He knew that he had a mission and that time was passing. So, unless he wanted what he just dreamed to come true, he knew that he had to shake it aside and start to resume his search, the search to rescue his mother and father and to finally be able to find them again.

It took a while, but Spyro was finally able to recover enough so he was able to flap his wings and take to the sky. And soon, the purple dragon had resumed his search, and he continued to fly forward at a considerable speed, aiming to get to the Death Valley as soon as possible, so he could finally free his family from their imprisonment.

* * *

It passed a few hours, and Spyro was having now to make effort to fly. He was flying at a high speed for a considerable time, and of course, it didn't helped that Spyro had not had a decent meal since the previous day. His groaned as he clutched his belly, the hunger was starting to take its toll on him. And of course, it didn't helped that the purple dragon was also thirsty. The problem of these faraway places was that there were little to no rivers or lakes from which it was possible to drink some water. And of course, the sun beating down and making him sweat was surely not helping at anything with his thirsty, and Spyro was only starting to see when he would have a serious problem of heat stroke.

Spyro was just hoping that he was going to find a lake or a river in the way so he could take some big gulps of water. The thirsty brought him far more problems than the hunger. Spyro remembered that he already passed a few days, and even a week without food in the past, and he had lost considerable weight in these days. Still, Spyro was pretty sure that he could hang on a while without food, as long as he could drink enough water to keep his body functioning okay.

The purple dragon still continued to fly, though he could not see any river or lake in the way as he flew forwards. Spyro was panting as he was starting to feel like his mouth was going dry. He had a feeling that, if he didn't found water soon, he would likely to start to get hallucinations. Luckily for him, he saw something shining on the way, and Spyro knew pretty well the way that the light of the sun reflected in water.

He was able to thank the Ancestors for this, and he immediately dashed in a flight, using his elemental wind energies to propel himself faster through the air in direction to the water that was waiting from him in there.

Spyro arrived there in less than two minutes, and he saw himself among some trees that made some form of oasis. The trees cast a relaxing shadow over the place, and Spyro was able to relax a little as the shadow protected him from the strong heat of the sun. And, in the middle of the oasis, was a lake that had clean and fresh water. Spyro barely thought twice before walking to it and dive his head into the water and starting to take big gulps.

Spyro felt a wave of relief and gratitude in him as he felt the clean water go down his throat, and spreading freshness and cooling down his whole body. It was good to have some water among that heat and among such a dry place, and for a moment, Spyro thought that all of his problems had just vanished as he allowed himself to feel the pleasure from the fresh water.

Spyro raised his head after a long minute drinking down, and he let out a satisfied sigh as he could finally sate his thirsty. The purple dragon opened his eyes, and he looked at the light dancing into the river's surface.

He watched it as it danced and moved across the surface of that crystalline lake, changing shapes and almost seeming to move as if it had a mind of its own. Spyro took a few moments to realize that the light moved into a very suspect way, and that the way it moved was not natural.

Spyro looked attentively at the light, which seemed to be starting to take the form of some familiar shape.

Spyro's eyes widened as the shape of light opened its mouth, and a pillar of light travelled from it in direction to the purple dragon.

Spyro had to dove to the ground to avoid being hit by the beam of pure white light, which went right past him and out of the oasis. Spyro looked over, to see the light getting off the lake and into the air. The shape now was perfectly defined, and it looked like a dragon, but not any dragon. The light had took a shape that made it look like an exact duplicate of Spyro.

The purple dragon looked at the dragon made out of white light, who looked back at him, and opened his mouth again, to shoot another beam of light to the purple dragon, and Spyro once more was forced to dive out of the way, as the beam hit the ground and made a lot of dust raise from it as a small explosion was originated form that same place.

Spyro stood a distance away, breathing slightly, as he looked at the creature, which was still looking at him as it landed into the ground, facing him. Spyro didn't even had to think to come to conclusion that it was another of the guards that Malefor had put on the way, to ensure that nothing would go in and out of the Death Valley. It seemed that they were into all of the way.

Spyro breathed as he looked at this creature, which was clearly different form the first one he had faced. The one he had encountered way back there, was made out of green rock, and it was clearly related to the Earth element. This one, however, seemed to be made of light, and so, it was clear to imagine that it was related to the element of light.

The light element was one of the ones that Spyro only discovered after the war ended, and he knew that it was a powerful one, which was particularly powerful against the forces of evil and darkness, like the troops of the Dark Master. And now, Spyro felt surprised to see one of these in the way, but, he rationed to himself that it made sense that Malefor had the element of light, and was able to sue it, for he as a purple dragon, like him, even though his mind and heart were both very deep into the corruption of the darkness.

Spyro looked at the dragon of pure white light, which looked back at him with a serene expression, or so Spyro believed, once it seemed that this dragon didn't exactly had a well-defined appearance. The dragon only stared back at him, and it took a few calm, slow steps in direction to the purple dragon, whom stood in fighting pose, as the white dragon looked back at him, and opened its mouth, and let out another pillar of light in direction to him.

Spyro had to once more step out of the way, and he quickly opened his mouth and let out a torrent of flames in direction to the white dragon. The flames hit him and actually managed to push him back in direction to the lake.

The dragon stood over the surface, flapping its wings slightly and hovering above the water, and looked back at Spyro. The flames seemed like they had made absolutely no damage into the dragon of light, and Spyro was not surprised. Light was an energy, and as so, it could not be damage the same way that stone or metal were damaged by attacks. However, Spyro was pretty sure that his attacks could make some effect into the dragon of light, and that he could actually manage to destroy it if he was able to score enough hits into that thing, whatever exactly it was.

The dragon of white light was looking back at him and then, fast as only light was able to, it was again in the ground, standing right in front of the purple dragon.

Spyro didn't even had time to react as the dragon of light opened its maw and breathed a stream of the purest white light right into Spyro's face.

Spyro closed his eyes as the brightness hit his face. He expected to feel the pain of having energy passing by his face, but instead, he had a very different feeling, as a memory of his past suddenly passed in front of his eyes.

 _Spyro had just heard about the destruction that had happened into the Dragon Realms during the three years in which he had been stuck inside that crystal with Cynder and Sparx. The destruction that had been caused and the loss of lives. The pain that was caused to all of the people who lived in there. Something that he could have stopped if he was in there, but he was not, instead he was stuck inside a blasted crystal for years and he allowed it all to happen._

 _It was his fault. He was supposed to be there to protect the world and to prevent things like that from happening, but he wasn't there._

 _He had allowed all of that to happen. It was all his fault._

Spyro let out a heavy sigh, almost a gasp, as he fell back, blinking his eyes rapidly as he got at a distance from the dragon made of light. He put a hand in his own head as he could feel a bad feeling spreading through his body, starting from his head. He took only one second to realize that this was a feeling of guilty.

Why was he remembering that?

Why suddenly that, of all things, came into his mind, and as strong as it was way back then?

Spyro blinked, as he looked at the white dragon, which approached him with slow steps, almost as if the dragon was in a constant state of peace and meditation, like Spyro himself had been in the past, when he started to practice these things to help himself calm down. Spyro looked at it, and he knew that somehow that thing had managed to do it to him.

Spyro shook his head, as if this was going to shake away the feeling of inner struggle that he got, and he immediately dove after the dragon, enveloping himself into static electricity. He flew in direction to the dragon of light straight as a missile, and he let out a mighty cry.

However, the attack never connected.

Immediately as he dove into the white dragon, it decomposed itself into , millions of small dots of the purest white light, making it almost look like a shimmering swarm of fireflies. Spyro went right past it, without his attack ever connecting with anything but the air.

Spyro had a shocked expression on his face as all the dots of light passed by him, and they all gathered behind him, and once again, formed the white dragon. The dragon barely gave Spyro any time to react or to look shocked or anything else, before it opened its mouth and liberated another beam of pure white light into Spyro, hitting him square in the back.

Spyro let out a gasp, as he could feel the light hitting him in the back, and washing over him. However, as he did it, he once more felt no pain, but instead, it was like something was clicked inside his mind, and he was once again dragged at another moment of his past, one of the many moments of his life that he would give anything to forget.

 _"IGNITUS! NOOOO!" Spyro cried as he saw his mentor disappearing into the flames, being burned alive by the heat of the flames that not even a fire dragon would be able to survive contact for more than a few seconds._

 _"Spyro!" He looked, and he saw Cynder, "Spyro, we can't save him, we gotta go!"_

 _"No… He can't be gone!" Spyro said, refusing to believe the idea of Ignitus being gone forever. He could not accept it. He refused to accept._

 _"Spyro, let go." Cynder said, as gently as possible, and Spyro looked down, and he closed his eyes. He couldn't. He just couldn't let go, even if he wanted, he just couldn't, the pain was to great._

 _" **No!**_ **"** _He said, his voice distorting and his eyes turning pure white as his body became pitch black._

 _He raised from the ground, his body emitting dark convexity power, making the air around him revolve, as he raised from the ground._

 _"Spyro! No!" Cynder said, the green energy chain linking them serving as an anchor to keep Spyro from running away from her._

 _" **You can't stop me.** " Spyro said, as he looked at the black dragoness, the feeling of pain in his being too great, as well as the feeling that Ignitus was somehow dead because of him._

 _And he wasn't?_

 _After all, Ignitus had gave his life to save him!_

Spyro fell to the ground, reeling in it as he felt the pain of that night, now added to the guilty that he was already feeling, and the feeling of pain that was cumulated form both now was making Spyro feel his chest heavy.

Spyro was gasping as he clutched his chest, feeling like his heart was aching, and like there was a big weight into his shoulders. Now he was having to keep his weight balanced among his legs, as they were suddenly feeling trembling and weak, due to all of the emotions that were suddenly crashing into him and making his body and confidence falter.

Why?

Why suddenly these things came into his mind every time that the attacks of that white dragon…

That was when it hit Spyro. He was doing it.

Spyro remembered what he had learned about the light element. It was an element that had the power to cleanse corruption and darkness, and yet, it was dangerous. It was an element that, if used a certain way, could cause the victim to face his own darkness in his heart.

The power of the light brought to the surface what the person wanted to keep in the darkness, and that meant crimes, regrets, guilt, pain, sadness, all the mistakes and all the falters that the person wanted to forget and to leave into the darkest part of his/her mind, and hoped to never see them coming to light again.

That was a power that made the person have to face all the darkest parts of his/hers own past, and that could have a terrible effect in people. Spyro even heard some stories about people who were so tormented by their own darkest parts that they were sent into the verge of madness.

Using the darkest and crueler part of the light as a way of attacking and hurting people by showing them their biggest pains and regrets. This kind of way of attacking had just everything to do with Malefor and the way that he liked to do things. Spyro shouldn't even be surprised for knowing this kind of thing.

Still, this didn't made any easier for Spyro to face it, for him, like anyone else, had his own pains and regrets, all buried deep into the darkest part of his heart and mind. Even the legendary purple dragon was not immune to the power of the light.

Spyro looked at the white dragon, which looked at him with that same calm stare, walking slowly in direction to the purple dragon and seeming as if it was getting ready to another attack. However, Spyro was faster, and he immediately shot a big arch of lightning into the dragon of light.

The energy connected, and the dragon trembled itself, as if the body itself was suffering interference, and almost decomposing as the image trembled just like a mirage in the middle of the desert.

Energy could affect energy, and Spyro was fully aware of this. Both light and electricity were energies, and so, it was only reasonable that one should affect the other. Spyro smiled to himself as he saw that he had made a good score, and he was getting ready to shot even more electricity into the dragon, enough to make it be destroyed.

However, the dragon of light, once more was able to move way faster than a regular dragon would be able to.

The dragon quickly recovered from the electricity, and it quickly moved out of the way, simply blinking out of sight. Spyro blinked as he lost his focus and he looked around, to see the dragon at his left.

Spyro got ready again, but the dragon once more blinked out of the way, and Spyro was soon looking around again, only to discover that the dragon had blinked to behind him. The purple dragon looked to all sides, as the dragon of light was blinking all around him, going from one point to the other in a blink. Spyro knew that he was not going to be able to hit him like that. He needed to use the fury!

He closed his eyes, and focused the energy of electricity into his body, and he was about to release it from all his body, but he didn't had time, for he was hit by something in the face. It was not something physical, but Spyro knew that something had hit him, and he had his head threw back as he felt the energy peeling into his scales and into his mind, as it brought to his mind what there was of worse into his heart and mind.

 _You are not strong enough._

 _You are not fit to be considered a hero if you failed so many times with so many people. So many lives that you failed to defend, and all the people who you could have saved but was unable to._

 _All people take the great purple dragon into so great regard, but they forget about all the times that he was not there. For three years he was not there, and for a longer time he was not there as the Terror of the Skies reigned over the lands._

 _He is not a hero, he is unable even to help the people who are near him._

 _Now, he can't even protect himself against a tiny bit of light. He is unable to save himself, so how can people expect him to be able to save others? The great purple hero. Nothing but a joke._

Spyro shook his head as he tried to get rid of these words that popped in his mind. This time it was no memory of his past. This time it was a thought that had already crossed his mind many times in the past.

It was a doubt, a doubt that Spyro had on himself and on his own abilities, for all the times that people had needed his help and he was unable to help them. Spyro was unable to help people who were in need of him, who counted on him. Thinking that he had failed with his mission, and that he, in the end, even with all of his power and potential, was not the great hero that everybody said he was, was something that could crush him if he thought too much about that.

Spyro shook his head, as he knew that, right now, doubting his own abilities could be the worst thing that could happen to him, for he just needed one moment of doubt so he would no longer be able to fight properly, and he would be a sitting duck against that dragon. Spyro needed to focus, but it was really very hard to do so with the feelings of impotence, failure, grief and regret all into his mind, being all brought to light by the breath of the dragon.

Spyro tried to focus electricity, but he was unable to focus properly, so he could not create the proper attack into the dragon. The other dragon, however, was not with that kind of problem. It opened its mouth and breathed a powerful breath of light into him. However, this was different from the other beams, this one was much more focused, and Spyro once more had to dive to avoid the attack.

The purple dragon felt the beam of light passing by his side, and reeling on his side. However, this time there was not any feeling, but only searing pain. The dragon had changed the tactic, and was now using the offensive power of a focused beam of light, which could burn and destroy.

Spyro hissed as he held his leg, which was slightly burned. The feeling was horrible! The white light was as scorching as a flame could be, and it was so fast that dodging it was like trying to avoid a lightning. Spyro had already saw light being used as a lethal weapon, and he knew that, if he stood in place and let it hit him, he was most likely never going to see the light of a new dawn.

Spyro looked at the dragon of light, who looked back at him, and seemed to be getting ready to deliver a new attack, and Spyro knew that the true battle now was about to begin.

Spyro took a deep breath, trying to use a little of what he had learned about the meditation and self-discipline to be able to clamp down the haze in his mind from all these bad thoughts, and be able to finally focus into an effective attack.

Spyro was able to gather the power of electricity and he was able to liberate it into a powerful beam of electricity. In the very same moment, the dragon of light opened its mouth and liberated a pillar of focused light into Spyro. The two attacks classed in mid air with such a power that it made the near trees shake slightly, and Spyro himself felt like the attack had rang all through him, such was the power liberated from the clash of these two powerful energies.

Spyro soon as finding himself struggling into a power fight with the dragon of light, which sent to him a very powerful pillar of light, which now had Spyro struggling to keep his ground as he countered it with a powerful arch of lightning, which almost caused a thunder to roar, such was the power and magnitude of it. The battle was fierce, and Spyro was feeling some difficulty as that attack was draining his mana quick.

Spyro already faced many situations in which he had to use his mana, and situations in which he would have to be without it. However, now, with the double danger that this creature represented to him, Spyro was really not very keen on having his mana run out in a situation like that.

Spyro continued to struggle, as both light and electricity clashed, forming a ball of pure energy that oscillated between one and the other, as they both continued to struggle. Spyro was giving all he had, at the same time that he tried to save his mana in the case he was going to need in the near future, if his attack was not enough. The light dragon, however, didn't showed any signs of fatigue, or any other emotion, by the way, it only had that same serene expression, almost peaceful, making it look like perfect sculpted image of Spyro into the noblest marble.

Spyro panted as the ball of energy started to move his direction, and Spyro soon saw, as it was coming closer and closer to him, that doing this was fighting a lost battle. Spyro knew that, if he wanted to survive, he needed to use another tactic. So, with this in mind, Spyro immediately jumped out of the way.

The light came crashing at full force to where he was, and collided with the ground into a huge explosion. Spyro saw himself having to firm his claws into the ground so he could prevent himself from being blown away by the force for the attack. And he still had to shield his face from the dust that was raised from the ground as the attack caused that explosion, which left behind a crater which was twice as big as Spyro's body.

Spyro didn't had time to pay attention to it, though, for he immediately pummeled his two front-paws into the ground, focusing his mana and sending a wave of pure earth power to the ground.

As he did so, the area in which his paws were glowed green, and this green moved into the ground in a crack-like pattern. It dashed across the ground in a zigzag manner, until it was right beneath the dragon of light.

The creature barely had time to move before all the energy of the earth, focused beneath it, finally focused and exploded upwards. A pillar of pure green earth power raised from the ground, engulfing the creature of light, and making the creature be silent dispersed into a million of pieces of pure light.

The pillar lasted for only a few seconds, before finally subsiding, and leaving behind no trace of what had happened. The trick of sending your energy to the ground and using it as a indirect attack was a advanced way of attacking using the earth element. Spyro took around three months of attempt and failure under Terrador's teaching before he was able to fully master this technique, and now, all the work seemed to fully compensate. Even though doing so consumed more mana than normal.

Spyro panted as he came down from the high of pure energy that he created with the boom into the ground of his power, he looked at the place the dragon of light had just been, and he saw only small dots of light, all that was left from him. Spyro allowed himself a smile, as he knew that now he had just own.

He let out a small sigh, and he was about to relax and drop to the ground, when that familiar voice came.

"You haven't won yet."

Spyro's head immediately snapped back, as he looked at the source of the voice, and he once again saw the mysterious figure in there, standing and looking at him. "You!" Spyro said, but the creature seemed to little mind this.

"Light cannot be destroyed." He said as he looked at Spyro, and he continued, "However, ther is a way that you can win. You need to allow the light to shine on you, on all of your being. Only when you can fully face all that you conceal in the dark of your soul, you will be fully able to defeat this creature. Only by allowing it to fully shine on you, its light will be all spent and it will be snuffed down forever."

The figure was still being cryptic, and Spyro was about to voice his frustration with it, when he suddenly had a feeling of a shiver passing up his spine. Immediately, he looked back, and he could see dots of light coming from the sky, and starting to form together. It was only a matter of a little less than one minute, until it finally reformed into the dragon of white light, which turned to look at Spyro.

The purple dragon looked back at the figure, once to discover that he had vanished once more, without giving Spyro any other form of advice more than it already had said. And the words that the figure had said were anything but helpful, being as cryptic as it had been.

Spyro could only look back at the dragon, who was staring back at him, and Spyro knew that he was in trouble. He had used almost all of his mana, and he barely had power to even shot a decent fire breath. Spyro knew that now he needed to figure out what his mysterious guide meant, and quick, otherwise, this could very well be his last day on earth.

The figure looked at him, and opened its mouth to shot another wave of light on him, but Spyro was still quick, and he was able to jump out of the way. There were no green crystals around, and Spyro knew that he could not count on his mana. Instead, he knew that, even being useless, he would need to go for the physical fight.

Spyro knew that it was impossible to hit light, but still, he needed to at least try.

Spyro then started to run in direction to the dragon of light, and soon, Spyro found himself into attacking reach. And he wasted no time into pummeling his two claws into the body of the creature, into a clear slashing motion.

As expected, the attack generated no real damage, as the light only dissolved into dots as it seemed to almost melt in Spyro's claws, and immediately, images and sounds came into Spyro's mind.

 _" **You and I share much more attributes in common than only our colors.** " Malefor said, looking down at Spyro._

 _" **I was once like you. Young, brave, ingenious, I believed I was born to be a hero, and that I could make great things. But in the end, I found what I truly was meant to do. Just like you someday will. You might even continue with this show. You might continue to pretend that you are a hero. That you are destined to be a great savior, but one day, you will turn against all that you once loved and will seek to end this. You will disappoint all the ones who loved you, and they all will curse your name, just like they cursed mine. Of course, you will barely even mind, you will be too busy in your own journey to destroy all that you once sworn that you'd save. In the end, we are both alike. In the end, you are just like me.** "_

"NO!" Spyro cried out as he shook his head, and he slapped his own face as he wanted to shake the image away the image of Malefor in his head.

That was a fear that Spyro had for a long time. He still had nightmares from time to time in which the Dark Master himself appeared before him and told him all of these words. They carried a lot of meaning to Spyro, as they reflected what was maybe his greatest fear: the fear that they were truth, and that it was possible that, one day, that was really going to happen, and Spyro would really find darkness in his own heart, just like Malefor found in his own, and he would end up like him.

That was one of the things that Spyro most dreaded in the whole world, and was a thing that he always prayed to the Ancestors that would never come to happen, and was a thing that he would fear that could happen until the last day of his life. The idea of turning against all that he loved, and of trying to destroy and kill all the people who were dear to him, of betraying them, it was a thought that made Spyro felt a huge ache into his heart every time that it came to his mind, and he always prayed to everyone who was listening to him that he would never had to pass by this, not in a million years.

Spyro breathed heavily as he looked at his own paws, the light melting away from them as it seemed to have stained him, just like water. Spyro looked back at the creature, and he saw that it had a big gash into its body, just into the place where Spyro had attacked it and his paws had passed over the creature. Soon, the light, as if water, filled the place, and as it did, Spyro could almost swear that the creature looked slightly smaller.

As he saw this, Spyro took only a few moments before he could make sense of what the figure had told him.

The creature, for what it seemed, was made of the same light that could shine into Spyro, and bring on what made him suffer. It seemed that, when it was touched, the light was sucked to the one who touched it, and it made effect, but the light could not generate more of itself as it was used.

Spyro finally understood. The only chance of destroying this creature was attacking it directly and attack the dragon. Spyro knew that the dragon would be absorbed by his body, and when it was over, the dragon would be destroyed forever, or so was what the figure had told to him.

However, Spyro also had something that deeply worried him:

If the creature was made of the same light than its breath, than the effects of it in Spyro would be exactly the same. Spyro already had enough proof of it into the way that he reacted when he tried to slash the creature with his claws. Letting the light of the creature melt into him, would also mean to let all the light affect him at once, and by the size of the dragon, Spyro had a feeling that it was going to be much more intense than the breath of the creature had been.

Spyro was hesitant to do so, for he didn't knew if his mind was going to handle all of that. Truth was, Spyro was scared of having all that hid into the darkness of his heart to finally come to light. He had already faced a lot of pain and of internal suffering by having his dreaded memories and fears coming to surface. Spyro was not sure if he wanted to felt all of that multiplied by several times. He wasn't sure if his heart was ready for such a thing.

Immediately, he had to dodge a beam of light that nearly hit his head. He looked back at the dragon of light, which seemed to be getting ready to attack him again.

Spyro knew that he was in a perilous situation. He didn't had more mana to fight. The dragon could recover itself from any damage that Spyro could throw at him. It did not got tired and seemingly didn't ran out of mana like he did. Spyro knew that if he continued to fight he would be most likely done for.

So, they choice was to go for the plan of the mysterious creature and accept that light over himself, and face all the darkest parts of himself, or continue to fight on another way and take a risk of almost certain death.

Spyro only needed a single second to make the decision, as he dodged another beam of light from the dragon of light, and immediately, Spyro ran in its direction.

The creature was just preparing another breath of light, when Spyro ran in direction to it. The purple dragon jumped as he let out a might cry, and before he could think twice or change his own mind, he rammed both his paws into the chest of the creature.

The whole dragon undulated like water, as it started to leak into Spyro, covering his paws, and then his legs, and then his chest, until it reached his head. In that moment, Spyro had his mouth wide and open into a silent scream, as the light flooded him whole, and as a result, it shone unto his mind, his heart, and his soul, and into all the things that were hid into their darkest parts.

 _You really call yourself a hero? You weren't able to save all the people who died in the war!_

 _So, you think you are a noble being? What about all the apes you killed? How many of them had families waiting for them back home? How many kids you left orphans by killing their parents? How many of them were still waiting for them to come back?_

 _You are just like Malefor, you have no way to change it at all!_

 _You will end up like him one day! There is no way continuing to pretend that you are different, for we all know that you are not._

 _You are not even strong enough to save your own mother! You can barely even defend yourself!_

 _How can the famous and adored purple dragon be so useless?_

All of this and much more came to his mind, in the form of voices, images, hallucinations, and much more coming to his mind. All the things that he ever dreaded and that ever were hid into the deepest part of himself. Things that he had left in there long ago and tried to avoid. Things he had forgot and wanted to stay like that. Things that he had left in there so long ago that he never even knew that they existed or were even there.

All his doubts, flaws, faults, fears, mistakes, regrets, all that ever had bothered him in one way or another, and all of them were now illuminated and brought into the surface, forcing Spyro to face all of them at once.

That was too much for Spyro. He could not barely fight back the tears as it all came into him, and now, his mind was not being able to take so much at once, and his body was shaking from all the fear and the feeling of helplessness that crept into him, as that all made him doubt himself. It made him doubt his own abilities, and he was lead to doubt his own potential, and if could truly be the hero that everyone so much claimed that he was.

Spyro was barely even able to remember where he was anymore, as he opened his eyes, still leaking tears, as he looked around, and found himself in the middle of a floating piece of rock in the middle of the night sky.

Spyro looked around, and he saw a figure standing in front of him, and he saw that it raised its head, and Spyro saw that it was himself. Better saying, it was his Dark self. It was Dark Spyro, which looked at him with a smirk in its face that made him remember of Malefor. The figure looked at him, and it spoke:

" ** _The great purple dragon… What a joke._** " He gave a few steps in Spyro's direction as Spyro looked back at him, and he continued to what he was saying, " ** _You are taken as the purest dragon who ever lived, but they don't know all the times you failed and all the times you acted just as monstrous as Malefor did._** "

He had a smirk in his face as he looked at the purple dragon, who could only look back at him in silence. The figure laughed, a laughter that remembered very much the one form Malefor, and he continued to talk to Spyro. " ** _You are not pure, Spyro. You never were. No matter how much you want to be pure or to be the sacred hero that everyone thinks you are, in the end, you will always have this darkness in your heart. You never got rid of me before, and neither you will one day. The darkness will always be part of you, and there is nothing you can do or say to change that. Ever._** "

Spyro knew that he was right. He wished that he was wrong, and that it was not true, but he knew that, in the end, it was only the bloody truth. A truth that Spyro, with all of his power and supposed virtue, was simply unable to change.

Spyro only looked at the ground, the his dark self smirked, knowing that he had won.

"Yes, you are right." Spyro said, what made his dark self smirk wider. However, he didn't' expected to hear what Spyro said next.

"But… even though I cannot get rid of it, I know that I cannot let it define how I live."

Dark Spyro looked surprised at Spyro, who raised his head, and he was actually smiling.

"By seeing all of my flaws, I can now see how well I have handled them all, and how strong I can truly be." Spyro said, as the ambient around him was starting to get brighter. "Yes, I know that I have the darkness in my heart, and that I'll always be, but now I know that I also have light in me, and that light will help me contain my own darkness."

Dark Spyro now had a scared expression in his face, as the ambient around him became brighter and brighter. "I have loved ones." Spyro said, his mind travelling back to all the people who loved him, and how helped him along all the way of his life, "And while I could not save everyone, I did helped a lot of people."

Spyro was feeling more and more confident, it was like seeing all of this demons and finally having them in light, finally made him see that, despite being powerful they didn't had the power to destroy him. This realization seemed to make his dark self scared, and Spyro took this as a _very_ good sign. Spyro smiled, as he continued to walk in his direction.

"I'm Spyro, and I might not be a great hero, or even a perfect dragon." He spoke, as the light around him grew stronger, and now, after having all his fears passing by him, Spyro felt great to himself, "But I know that I can make a good thing for the world, and that I have a lot of people who care about me."

"I'm doing this for all the people who I love, for my family, and knowing this gives me strength that not even my own darkness can kill." Spyro said, as the light now was shining bright, and Dark Spyro had a look of the most absolute terror in his face. "You cannot defeat me. I'm not scared of you anymore. For now, I know that, even if the darkness lives in me, and will always be a part of me, so will my own light, and now, I know my darkness as well as my light, and so, I don't fear either of them anymore!"

Spyro said, and the light exploded into the whole ambient, enveloping everything. " ** _NOOOOOO!_** " His dark self screamed as the brightness enveloped him, and the whole ambient around him and Spyro…

Spyro gasped as he could see the last of the light being absorbed into his paws, and he finally fell from the ground, as he felt like he was coming down from a high like no other that he had ever had in his whole live.

There were still tears leaking from his eyes, however, Spyro realized that he didn't felt as bad as he thought that he was supposed to feel. Instead, he almost felt as if a great burden had been suddenly taken off his shoulders, and he discovered, to his own surprised, that he was actually feeling better.

Spyro was still panting, as he tried to recover himself form that great storm of emotions that he had just experienced, when he heard the clinging of some crystal material being dropped in front of him. He looked over, to see a pile of red and green crystals deposited in front of him. Spyro blinked at it, and he looked up, at the same mysterious figure from before, once more appearing out of nowhere to him, and once more offering him crystals to help him recover his strength.

"Well done, Spyro." The figure said to him, and Spyro had the feeling that he would be able to see a smile behind the cloth that covered the creature's head. "Well done."

Spyro looked at him, and he was about to ask a few of the questions that he wanted to know form the creature, however, in that moment, he made a mistake: he blinked.

That single second in which he blinked was enough for the creature to once more disappear completely from sight, leaving behind no footprint, scent, or anything that suggested that he had one day been in there. Spyro looked around, even though he knew that he was not going to find any trait of the creature around.

Spyro only sighed, as he looked at the crystals, and he, while still feeling frustrated for knowing nothing about his mysterious guide through this strange quest, could not help but feel glad that he was receiving some kind of help into something that was clearly so difficult to do.

For some reason, after all that had just happened to Spyro, he felt strangely inclined to see the brighter side of things…


End file.
